Harry Potter and that Girl from America
by aRebel aSaint
Summary: Reviews pleeez! Alyssa Bennington is a new student at Hogwarts. Not only is she brilliant and beautiful, but she has powers inside her that tempt even the Darkest of Wizards. Chapter 24 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: That American Girl

Alyssa Bennington stood at the train station thinking this day could not _possibly_ get any worse. She was just dropped off by her brother, Brad, who practically split immediately to get back to Romania. Her mom was supposed to have brought her over but she could hardly be bothered with doing such tasks. Her job as an Auror demanded pretty much every hour of her life so she could've been across the entire planet by that time.

Obviously her dad was out of the question. Brian Shepard was happily married, father of two turned Death Eater. Her family had been in Scotland watching a Quidditch match when her dad met none other than Lucius Malfoy. They became quite the pair of friends and within a year, Lucius had turned her father into a mini version of himself; they hadn't seen him since.

So Alyssa stood in front of the Hogwarts Express, alone, and watching families kissing and hugging their children goodbye. She sighed, grabbed her trunk in one hand – her empty owl cage in the other and stepped onboard. There was a compartment of trunks to her left and she struggled hard to get her own in when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to meet a boy's striking green eyes.

"Do you need help with that?" He offered; her eyes glanced briefly to his well-known lightning bolt shaped scar before nodding and letting go of the trunk. He lifted it up with ease and put it into the compartment followed by his own trunk and owl cage. Afterwards they stepped further into the train and pushed themselves against the wall as more students got onboard.

"I'm Harry by the way, Harry Potter." He held out his hand and she shook it evenly.

"Alyssa Bennington." She replied. He turned to move down the aisle and looked through the doors of a few as he went.

"You must be new here," He said, moving past another full compartment. "You certainly don't look like a first year."

Alyssa laughed and nodded even though his back was turned. "Yeah, I just transferred from Beauxbatons… but I'm really from America. We move around a lot." She explained.

"Ah, I see. So I take it you're a seventh year?" She nodded, "Yea, me too. C'mon, let's find a compartment before they're all filled." They headed further down the aisle and didn't find an empty compartment until they neared the end of the train. They slid opened the door and slipped in taking a seat. It was barely minutes later when the door slid opened again and a red headed boy walked in looking out of breath.

"Harry!" He exclaimed, he took a seat and let out a whoosh of air. We've been looking all over for you; Hermione's probably on the opposite end of the train by now."

"I figured she'd have some _Head Girl_ stuff to do now." Harry replied. Ron shook his head before his eyes landed on Alyssa.

"Hi," She said.

"Oh, sorry," Harry spoke up, and pointed his fingers at them. "This is Alyssa Bennington, Ron. And this is Ron Weasley."

Alyssa held her hand out for him to shake, "Nice to meet you," She said, and smiled a bit when Ron blushed slightly and slowly raised his hand to shake hers. Harry laughed at the encounter and rolled his eyes. He reached down to his pocked and sorted around for some money before standing up.

"Y'know, I think I'm gonna search for the trolley." He rubbed his hand over his stomach before sliding the compartment door opened and walking out.

"Do you have a brother?" Ron finally asked, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

Alyssa nodded, "How'd you guess?"

"Your last name sounds a bit familiar… Does he work with dragons? In Romania?" Alyssa nodded again, "He must work with my brother Charlie, then."

"Oh, yeah!" She said and briefly looked up as a girl with extremely curly brown hair came in the compartment and sat down. "Yea, he mentions a guy named Charlie a lot; that's probably him."

"Finally!" the girl scoffed, she also seemed to be out of breath. "I've been up and down these aisles at least _four_ times! The first years are way too excited, it's unnatural, really."

"You _were_ the one who decided to become Head Girl, Hermione." Ron replied rolling his eyes. She scoffed again before she realized Alyssa was sitting next to her. She looked her up and down before bouncing in her seat.

"You must be Alyssa Bennington!" She raised her hand to shake it and Alyssa took it slowly, "I'm Hermione Granger."

"…And you know me because?"

"Well, I'm Head Girl," She said as if it were no big thing, "I guess you had late arrangements attending Hogwarts this year so you'll be sharing a room with me." She paused furrowing her brows, "Didn't you know that already?" Alyssa shook her head, "Well… now you do."

Alyssa paused in thought wondering if she would be able to handle spending the entire year with Hermione; she seemed a bit… for lack of a better word – psychotic.

"So, I hear you move around a lot." Hermione said, sparking up conversation.

Alyssa nodded, "Uh, yea. With my mom's job we've been moving around all over the place."

"She's an Auror, right?" Hermione asked; Alyssa nodded. I've heard loads about her; capturing a lot of Dark Wizards… she must be brilliant." Hermione pondered aloud.

"Yea, she is." Alyssa said smiling.

The compartment was taken over by another moment of silence. The train rocked back and forth and the sky outside looked like it was darkening. Alyssa looked at her watch wondering when they were supposed to make it to the school; she was practically aching to see it.

Suddenly there were loud shouts coming from outside the compartment and through the aisle. Hermione and Ron shared a look of panic before standing up and hurrying to the door. Just as they opened it, a quick whisk of blue shot past and in a rush to get out of the way they both fell over backwards. Alyssa stood up, stepped over Ron and stood directly in the middle of the aisle. On her left was Harry, looking as angry as ever, and on her right was an absolute gorgeous looking blonde who, Alyssa realized taking a closer look, was Draco Malfoy. They both had their wands raised in midair Harry gave her a look to get out of the way yet she stayed put, and seconds later a crazy old woman came practically running down the aisle, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"POTTER! MALFOY! We haven't even reached the school and you're ALREADY causing trouble. Potter, get back in your compartment! Malfoy, I would've expected better from HEAD BOY!" She paused and looked over at Alyssa who still hadn't moved, and as she let out a deep breath she said, "You must be Alyssa Bennington. "I'm professor McGonagall; I'll be your transfiguration professor as well as your Head of House." She held her hand out pointing to the other end of the train, "Follow me."

Alyssa willingly obliged and headed down the aisle, Draco on the other hand, was practically thrown down the aisle by professor McGonagall. They walked all the way down to the other end of the train and slid into a compartment that was at least twice the size of the one Alyssa had originally been sitting in. There were red couches pushed up against the walls with a small wooden coffee table sitting in the middle. McGonagall stood in front of the table and gestured for them to sit down.

As they sat down she began to speak, "Now, I'm sure Ms. Granger has told you about the sleeping arrangements?" Alyssa nodded. "Good; we would've put you in a regular seventh year dormitory but these were last minute arrangements so we figured it'd be much easier to have you share a room with Ms. Granger."

Alyssa shrugged already deciding she didn't mind too much. "That's fine, thanks."

McGonagall nodded, "And this is Draco Malfoy." Alyssa noticed the slight glare she sent his way, "He's the Head Boy and will be showing you to your dorm since Ms. Granger will be attending a meeting right after dinner." She glanced out of the window before looking back at the two students.

"You can return to you're compartments; I expect we'll be arriving soon."

Alyssa and Draco stood up and left the compartment. They walked silently down the aisle, side by side, and Alyssa couldn't help but make glances at him. He was much taller than she was; probably 6 foot two against her 5 foot 5 – she felt incredibly tiny. His blonde hair looked ridiculously soft and he had amazing gray eyes.

She silently scolded herself into not looking and instead glanced outside the window. Nothing but tall trees and steep hills could be seen, and the sky was darkening even more even though it had been a beautiful day outside that afternoon. She suddenly got goose bumps realizing that soon enough she'd be inside the Hogwarts castle – her new home. Her nerves picked up and the butterflies in her stomach started fluttering until she began taking deep breaths in through her nose, and out through her mouth.

Draco broke her trance, "So you're new here?" His voice was deep and smooth, causing the already present chills down her spine to increase violently.

Alyssa nodded quickly, "Yep."

She noticed him look her up and down and he said, "You'll like it here." And she wondered if she should take that in some weird perverted way or if he actually meant it. But that thought was cut short when someone shouted his name from down the aisle.

A black haired boy who Alyssa thought was also rather good looking came walking towards them. He laughed at Draco before they both shared a hug yet still managed to look manly. They broke apart smiling at each other before the boy turned to Alyssa and raised his hand.

"Draco, who's this gorgeous looking friend of yours?" He asked; Alyssa smiled.

"This is Alyssa, she's new here."

"Ah, very nice to meet you; I'm Blaise Zabini," He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it charmingly, winking as he did.

"Nice to meet you, as well." Alyssa replied smothering a blush. Her eyes ran over him; Blaise seemed a lot more laid back then Draco did. He was wearing jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt, when Draco was wearing black dress pants, a button up shirt, and a black cloak. Thinking of the clothes reminded her how they were nearing the castle, and she still hadn't changed yet.

"Well, I'm going to get changed if we're pulling up soon." She said.

Blaise looked somewhat disappointed but smiled anyway, "All right, we'll see you at dinner." Alyssa smiled and walked past them to return to her compartment. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all in there so she grabbed her duffel bag that had a change of clothes and headed to the changing rooms. She quickly slipped out of her jeans and tank top and put on her Hogwarts uniform that consisted of the usual skirt, button up, sweater, and cloak. She looked at her reflection to adjust her cloak and brushed the lint of the Gryffindor crest. She had been sorted in the middle of the summer and after learning only a bit about each House she was glad to be in Gryffindor.

She looked in the mirror again and ran her fingers through her hair and fixed her makeup. Alyssa's most prominent features were her jet black hair and her violet eyes; both traits were passed down from her father. Other than that she had full red lips and tanned skin.

As she shoved her clothes back into her duffel bag she could feel the train slow down to a stop and heard the students rushing through the aisles excited to get off the train.

She followed the rest of the students and was surprised to see the major turn in events in the weather. When she was dropped off at the station it had been a bright and sunny day; now the sky was dark and cloudy, and pouring rain clouded her vision. Thunder and lightning sounded above everyone as she sloshed through the thick puddles of mud.

A carriage raced by her and a wave of mud came splashing towards her. But just in time someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of the way. She turned around to see Harry's amused smile; a much lighter look from when he had looked so furious earlier that day.

"You're a life saver, Harry." How ironic.

He laughed and shook his head before nodding at a carriage. "C'mon, Ron already found a carriage that's empty." He grabbed her hand and led her towards the carriage. Alyssa willingly agreed and let him lead the way, but her eyes left the back of his head to look at the creatures that were leading the carriages. They were what Alyssa thought as awful looking horses; they were gangly and winged, with every bone visible through their dark bodies.

Alyssa didn't let her attention stray for too long and continued to follow Harry and climbed into the carriage. Ron and Hermione were already in there and introduce Alyssa to Ginny, Ron's sister. She was really nice and seemed like the only normal one out of all of them besides maybe Harry.

The oddest, obviously, were Ron and Hermione. All they did during the whole ride to the castle was argue about anything – big and little - imaginable. It was getting rather annoying.

When they finally pulled up to the castle, Alyssa was the first one to jump out. Immediately her jaw dropped. Hogwarts was so beautiful – not to mention _gigantic_. Her eyes could barely get past the front door as everyone dashed up the steps and into the Entrance hall. Ginny laughed at Alyssa's expression and grabbed her hand, leading her inside and out of the pouring rain.

Yet once inside Alyssa could only stop short again and didn't even try stopping her mouth from falling opened. The tall angled ceiling was lit up with gold candlelit chandeliers. Long gothic styled windows lined the walls from nearly the top of the ceiling to the very bottom of the stone floor.

"Great, isn't it?" Harry said from behind her. "This is pretty much home for me."

She smiled, unable to comprehend what she was thinking into words, and followed Harry and Ginny into the Great Hall. There were four different tables but the two of them led her to one which must've been the Gryffindor table. She couldn't help but notice the amount of pairs of eyes that looked her way and she wondered if it was because they weren't used to getting that many transfer students. She looked up to the staff table noticing that they were all also watching her and she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated.

Alyssa finally sat down at the table in between Harry and Hermione; Ron and Ginny were sitting across from them. Golden plates and goblets littered the table and delicious looking food sat in the middle lining up side by side from one end of the table to the other. But before any temptations took over, Alyssa and the rest of the students had to wait for the Sorting ceremony to finish… which took forever.

At the end Dumbledore clapped his hands together and chatter exploded through the hall as students dug into their food; it was absolutely delicious. Everything, Alyssa thought, tasted much better than it looked, which was pretty damn good.

Harry and Ron took the pleasure in introducing Alyssa to a bunch of the other students that were sitting around them – mostly seventh years. They were all extremely nice, much nicer than she could've expected, and welcomed her with opened arms as if they'd known her all along.

"So when did you leave America?" Hermione asked while serving herself a plateful of seconds.

"Well, we moved to France when I was fifteen," Alyssa explained. "I went to school there for two years and in the middle of this past summer I came here."

"Why did you move?" A boy named Seamus asked. He was one of the people that she had just met.

Alyssa sighed, knowing already that she'd be explaining this a bunch of times. "My mom's an Auror so she moves around a lot. I guess she just wants to keep me close since my brother lives in Romania… so I just go with her."

Everyone nodded with interest and she wondered why they seemed so fascinated. Alyssa had always just wanted to stay at home in America instead of following her mom around, especially since when it came to her mom – just because they were in the same country didn't mean they ever saw each other anyway.

There was a moment of silence before Hermione shot up from the table. "I almost forgot!" She said, ducking under the table to grab her things, "I've got a meeting to go to; I'll see you later!" She turned and practically ran from the table and out of the Great Hall.

"She never quits, that girl." Ron said shaking his head.

Alyssa's eyes glazed over the Great Hall, watching the students as they enjoyed their meals. She figured that this would be a great year; if that evening was any judge on what was to come then she'd definitely take back ever wanting to return to her old school. Her eyes eventually landed on Draco as he stood up from his table and left the Great Hall; she thought it'd be a good idea to follow him seeing as he was the one showing her to her room so she grabbed her duffel bag and moved to stand up.

"Well, I must be going. I've got to find my room eventually." They all bid her farewell and she walked out of the Great Hall.

Draco was standing just outside the doors seeming as if he was waiting for her.

"Hey," She called as she approached him.

He pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning against, smirked at her and said, "How was your dinner?"

"Great," She replied smiling, and as if to add emphasis she licked her lips.

He nodded curtly and took off down the hall and towards the staircase which Alyssa took as her cue. Although it was hard to keep up with his extremely large strides, she followed closely behind him as they walked through a nearly empty corridor. At the end of it was a clearing with who knew how many staircases that led to different floors. They ascended the closest one but about halfway up Alyssa found herself stuck.

She looked down to see that her foot had literally sunk into one of the steps.

"What the hell?" She muttered, and at that same moment the staircase swung sharply to another direction. She let out a "Jesus!" and scrambled to the side of the staircase grabbing hold of the railing.

"Yes, the staircases move." Draco drawled from above.

"No, it's not that." She said, trying and failing hard to remove her foot. He turned around to look at her and a smirk rose to his lips, "I seem to be a bit stuck."

"All right, well… good luck." And with that he turned and headed up the stairs.

"Draco!" She shouted, "Don't you dare leave me here,"

He turned back around, rolling his eyes and chuckled softly. He took his time walking back down the steps to where she was standing, hooked his arms underneath hers and with ease lifted her off of the step. With a sigh of relief her foot broke free and he placed her on the step above it.

"Thanks a bunch," She replied sarcastically, and moved past him to continue up the stairs.

They stopped at a portrait not too far from the staircase. It was an enormous portrait of an older, extremely skinny woman wearing a long, blue, silk dress. Her hair was brown and pinned into a bun at the back of her head.

"Password?" She asked in a rather deep voice for a woman.

"Lemon Drops," Draco replied. He turned to Alyssa briefly and at her quizzical expression mentioned not to ask. The portrait swung opened and they walked in. The room was huge; the walls were an auburn color, with gold and silver designs decorating them. There was a long couch with a small coffee table in front of it, and against the wall was a stone fireplace, and two large chairs beside it. The floor was wooden, but there was a very large off white carpet lying under the couch, chairs, and up to the fireplace. There were opposite doors on the right and left sides of the room, and another to the right and left of the fireplace. They stopped and Alyssa looked around, taking everything in. So this is where she'd be living for the year, not bad at all, she thought.

"That room," Draco said pointing to the right "Is your room. That one's mine," He added pointing to the left "And the door to the right of the fireplace is a corridor that leads to the prefects' quarters and to the left leads to the kitchens."

Alyssa couldn't help but smile brightly and feel giddy at the thought of having access to the kitchens; especially one that created such delicious food. It was practically like having her very own kitchen. She skipped happily to her room and gasped when she opened the door.

The room was rather large; two queens sized four-poster beds sat on opposite ends of the wall. Past the beds was a long, fat, red couch that was C-shaped. In front of the couch was a round coffee table followed by a white marble fireplace. There wasn't much of a source of light, but the fireplace was lit casting a dim lighting onto the room. The windows on the sides of the room also let some light in; maroon colored curtains parted spilling moonlight into the room and the present lightning that had continued since Alyssa had arrived at Hogwarts.

The carpeted floor was a rich auburn color, and the walls were made of gleaming wood that had a lining of golden lions patterned around the ceiling. Against the walls and on either side of the couch were two wooden desks that were now void of any sort of school supplies she and Hermione would be using.

In front of their beds were their trunks; Alyssa recognized her black trunk in front of the bed that was on her left.

Alyssa took her cloak off and tossed it over the bottom of her bed. She then realized that she also had her own closet. She opened the two wooden doors and smiled at the wealthy amount of space that she was provided for her clothes.

She moved on to the only other door that was in the room and figured it could only lead to the bathroom.

She wasn't surprised to see that nearly everything was marble, except for of course the cabinets which were made of wood, but alas only the doors were made of wood. The rest was marble. It was white with a hint of pink color; the floor was marble, the walls were marble, and even the ceiling was marble. In the center of the bathroom was a mini pool sized bathtub with many tiny different colored faucets surrounding it. A large shower was on the other side of the bathroom and in the cabinets Alyssa found towels, shampoo, soap and the rest of the bathroom necessities.

The counter on the side of the room was also made of marble but was a darker shade of pink. There were two separate sinks made for each of the occupants and above the counter was a long, spotless mirror that stretched the length of the counter top.

"You look lovely, dear." The mirror said as Alyssa looked into it. She froze; the mirror had spoken to her, a damn _mirror_. She paused giving her reflection an odd look before she could hear the door to her room being opened and left the bathroom to see who it was.

"I see you found your way here just fine." Hermione said smiling. She looked around the room admiringly before crossing it to her trunk and dropping her bag and cloak.

"Yes, I absolutely _love_ it." Alyssa replied enthusiastically. "Much better than I imagined," She added. She yawned as she made her way over to her trunk and kicked it opened. The first thing she saw was her favorite picture that she had always kept with her whenever she moved around.

It was a picture of her fifteenth birthday. Her brother Brad had reserved the entire top floor of an amazing hotel for Alyssa and her friends to party in all night long. The picture was of Alyssa, Brad and her ex boyfriend Jason. Jason was holding Alyssa's arms tightly behind her back and she was half screaming half laughing. Brad had been spraying chocolate syrup all over her, smearing it over every inch of her body that he could reach. It had been her happiest memory; all of them laughing happily together. She couldn't think of anything better.

Alyssa smiled at the moving picture before taking it out of her trunk and placing it on her nightstand. She made sure it was facing her pillows and looked at her watch yawning again. It was 9:57.

"Well, I'm going to bed I think." Alyssa said to Hermione. "I might as well get an early start." She changed into her pajamas and slipped into her bed which enveloped her almost instantly; there must've been a heating charm cast on the bed and she was prepared for a good nights sleep.

"Good night." She heard Hermione say, but it was faint… Alyssa was already drifting off.

* * *

**A/N:** Went back to this chapter to do some serious editing... Since I'm almost finished with the story now I'll be doing that a lot more for a bunch of the chapters probably, but anyway! 


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny woke up the next morning to 3 other girls shuffling around the dorms looking for clothes. She looked at the clock; it was 6:15. Ginny wasn't even planning on getting up until 7.

"For _Merlin's_ sake, would you _shut up_?" Ginny shouted. Her friends Kim, Blaire, and Audrey stopped completely and stared at her in shock.

Ginny threw her covers off of her and jumped out of bed. She threw open her trunk that was still packed and pulled out her school uniform. She grabbed her bag and her cloak and headed towards the bathroom where she brushed her hair and teeth.

She rushed quickly outside, needing a smoke that she flew right into a figure and they both fell to the floor.

"Oh, hello Ginny." It was Alyssa.

"Hey what are you doing up so early?" Ginny asked sitting up.

Alyssa stood up brushing off her skirt, "Yes well… I've been needing a cigarette for the past two nights so I got an early start." She grabbed Ginny's hand and helped her up. "That, and the fact Hermione was making such a fuss this morning."

Ginny laughed. "Well I'm up for the same exact reason, I guess."

Alyssa looked confused, "Hermione was being a fuss?"

Ginny laughed again, "No, no, I needed a smoke and my roomies were being a fuss."

"Ah yes, of course. Let's go then shall we?"

Together they walked outside Hogwarts to the lake. There were barely any students up, and if there was, they were inside. They sat in front of a tree and lit up.

"So, pre school year gossip. What's the deal with this place?" Alyssa asked.

"What do you want to know?"

"Sex, drugs, rock and roll. You know the drill."

"Well, the parties are major here. If you know where to go, the right people, that sort of thing."

"Who's the hottie with a body?" Alyssa asked laughing.

Ginny gave her a look. One of those: who-the-hell-do-you-think? Looks.

"Oh lemme guess." Alyssa said sarcastically, putting her index finger to her chin.

"Yeah well you're practically living with him."

"What's his deal anyway?"

Ginny took a drag and shook her head. "Who knows? Us Gryffindors are supposed to hate him, supposedly he shags every thing that walks."

Alyssa nodded her head, "Ah, of course." She put out her cigarette and threw it into the lake, as did Ginny.

"So what's _your_ deal anyway?" Ginny asked.

Alyssa cocked her head to the side, "What would you like to know?"

Ginny held up 3 fingers indicating 3 questions.

"Virgin?" She shook her head, "Alcoholic?" She hesitated a moment and then nodded her head smiling, "Smoke?" She nodded her head.

"Great, we'll be best mates already then." Ginny said nodding her head. Alyssa laughed and grabbed her bag.

They both walked back to Hogwarts and noticed more students were starting to get up.

They went into the Great hall and sat down for some breakfast. Hermione was already there and so were two other girls that Alyssa had been introduced to as Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil.

There were a few others that Alyssa didn't know, and soon Harry and Ron walked in.

"I can't believe this. What a way to start the year." Ron said.

Alyssa looked up. "What happened?"

"We've got double potions first thing this morning." Harry was going to finish at that but Ron exploded.

"With those Slytherins!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ronald, aren't you ever going to give it up?"

"What is this? Are you _defending_ them!" Ron said leaning down to the table.

She rolled her eyes yet again, "Not exactly, but this whole rivalry thing is getting a tad bit childish don't you think?"

"Why don't you just eat, Ron?" Hermione said. He instantly obliged and sat down. He poured food onto his plate quietly and didn't say a word until they left to go to potions.

Alyssa quickly devoured some eggs and pancakes. She could not get enough of this food.

"Did you get your schedule?" Hermione asked.

Alyssa gulped down a forkful of eggs before nodding her head.

"Speaking of Potions, can we leave early so I actually know where I'm going?"

Ron and Harry both looked up with their mouths full. They gave her one look and she said, "I guess not." She grabbed her bag and walked out of the great hall.

But she was stopped when she walked almost flat out into Blaise.

"Why, good morning, Ms. Bennington." Blaise said smiling cheerfully. He was an odd fellow, Alyssa thought, always so perky. Maybe he's stoned, she thought.

"Where are you off to?" He asked.

She looked around the hall then back at him, "Oh you know, just finding my way around here."

"Well why don't you stay and chat for a bit, eh?" He grabbed her hand and took her over to sit with him at the Slytherin table. Draco was already sitting there with a plate full of food, untouched, and her breath hitched in her throat.

He got even hotter as the days went by.

Alyssa quickly regained her composure and sat down in between Draco and Blaise. She looked over at Draco who was completely zoning out into his pumpkin juice, and his hands folded in his lap.

"Is he always like this?"

"Yes." They answered in unison.

Blaise chuckled and said, "Draco doesn't really eat anything except for dinner. And in the morning… he's just… there."

"Ah," Alyssa said nodding her head although she didn't quite understand, "Of course."

At that moment, Ron stood up from across the hall. Screaming of course.

"This is absolutely _insane_! You're all bloody mad, the lot of you!"

"What is wrong with him?" Alyssa said.

Draco stood up with an apple in his hand. He took one bit of it, and then like a pitcher, threw it directly at Ron's head. Once it hit him it exploded, the hall burst with laughter.

Ron turned around instantly with his finger pointed at Draco, who had returned to sitting still on his chair.

"One word out of you and I SWEAR it'll be your last!" Ron shouted, and he made his dramatic exit out of the great hall. Everyone, who happened to be silenced, went on with their day.

Blaise looked at Alyssa and asked, "Party tonight, you goin?"

"Lovely." She didn't want to end up having a hangover on the second day of school so she'd probably keep it low key. She decided she'd invite Ginny as well.

Just as Ron walked out a girl walked in and sat in front of Alyssa at the Slytherin table.

"Ah, best shagging mates already?" She said nodding at Blaise and Draco.

Alyssa glared at this pug nosed face loser and wondered, what is with these people and shagging?

"And you are?" Alyssa asked.

"Pansy Parkinson."

"Alright Pansy," Alyssa said, "Why don't you go run along with the rest of your pig nosed friends?"

Draco snorted and received a glare from pansy.

"Oh honestly, I don't know why you're even sitting there," He explained.

She cocked her head to the side and made an ugly face, which Alyssa presumed Pansy took as a pout.

"But Draco," She cooed in a squeaky voice, "I thought that we could bond this year."

Draco had actually turned a sickening green color at the thought.

"So Pansy, please tell us why we are ever so blessed with your presence?" Blaise asked sarcastically.

She opened her mouth to respond but Alyssa, Draco and Blaise all got up at the same time and left.

"I swear she gets more sickening every time I see her." Draco said looking down at the floor.

"Yes well it is your fault after all, for supposedly leading her on with your wicked ways." Blaise said laughing.

"I took her to _one_ dance! And now every chance she gets I'm assaulted."

Alyssa gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, "Cause its so hard for you tough boys to fend off such pathetic girls."

They both glared at her.

Draco and Blaise showed her the way to Potions and walked into the classroom where there were already some students seated. Some of which were the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Alyssa went up to the front and sat next to Hermione, leaving Draco and Blaise in the back.

A few moments after the rest of the class settled in, Professor Snape walked into the classroom. The first thing Alyssa noticed was his greasy matted hair.

She noticed him glance at her for a moment, and she briefly thought he looked familiar. She wasn't sure why, but he just was.

Alyssa had the feeling they'd be lecturing the first day so she sat back and relaxed. She stretched her back and took off her robe, putting it around the back of her chair. Alyssa couldn't help but notice some boys looking at her as she took off her robe.

And alas, her feeling was right. For what seemed like forever, Snape had droned on and on about the years curriculum, tests at the end, potions they'd be making, and Alyssa couldn't believe anyone could talk this much about nothing.

She looked over at Hermione who was scribbling furiously with her quill and rolled her eyes. Throughout the lesson Alyssa must have crossed, uncrossed, and crossed her legs at least 20 times.

She rested her head on the palm of her hand and zoned out completely even when Snape started writing notes on the board. After what she thought was a lifetime, the class was over.

The rest of the Alyssa's classes didn't fly by any faster. They went just as slow. But after a few excruciating hours, the day was finally over, and she was seated next to Ginny for dinner.

"So how was the first day?" She asked.

Alyssa took a deep breath and sighed, "Obliterating."

Ginny nodded understandingly.

"But hey, I've got good news. There's this party later tonight, wanna go?"

Ginny perked up at the idea and agreed. But Hermione looked petrified.

"Are you both mad? Honestly, it's the first day of classes and you want to go to a party? We've got more important things to worry about!"

Alyssa and Ginny both stared at her for a moment but then looked at each other.

"So come by my room at 8?" They agreed.

When Alyssa got to her common room, Draco's bedroom door was opened. She threw her books on the couch and when she turned around Draco was standing in the doorway. Shirtless.

Alyssa _had _to do a double take. She felt her jaw drop a little bit and was amazed and the art seen as Draco's body. He had nice ripped abs with a nice hard chest. He smirked when he saw her reaction.

Alyssa literally shook herself and said, "Uh… could you just… knock on my door when you leave? I'm gonna take a shower." He nodded and walked back into his room.

When Alyssa got out of the shower she changed into a tight black sweater and tight jeans. She walked back into her room and Ginny was sitting on her bed waiting for her reading a magazine.

Now, although Alyssa had said to herself she wouldn't drink, this was too much too deny. The moment she stepped into the prefects' quarters, a bottle of some weird red drink was shoved in her hand.

"Well," She shouted at Ginny, "This seems absolutely spiffy!" She chugged down the drink and walked into the room dancing.

Blaise, who was sitting across the room, waved Ginny over. He was sitting with a couple of other people and they were all joined in a circle. There was a bottle in the middle of the circle and Ginny tried to prevent herself from rolling her eyes.

As much as Slytherins supposedly detested muggles, they seemed to be obsessed with their childish games.

Blaise smiled, charmingly as always, and patted the seat next to him. "We're playing a game, want to join?"

Ginny looked around the room for Alyssa, but she was nowhere to be found. She took a swig of her drink and said, "Sure, why not."

Meanwhile, Alyssa was across the room by a table rummaging her pockets for a cigarette. She was on a roll for muttering curse words under her breath. It was kind of an issue at parties, when she drank she felt like smoking, when she smoked she felt like drinking. And at the moment she was having that exact problem.

From the reflection in the window she could see Draco approach her. She turned around and smiled at him, gulping at the sight of him and trying to keep to the three C's: Cool, Calm, and Collected.

"Hey," she said, reaching towards the table to grab another drink. Drinking was the only way, it seemed, that she could keep herself occupied and not fumble. Another reason to have a smoke.

He nodded curtly and said, "I was just going out for a smoke, would you like to join me?" God, she witnessed him have a couple of drinks and he still managed to seem completely composed and still sophisticated.

"Only if I can have one," She said rather giddily. He stopped and looked her up and down, which he seemed to be doing a lot of, possibly being surprised at the fact that _she_ would smoke, but then nodded.

They walked to the other side of the room where there was a set of glass doors. The doors led to a large deck area that was crowded with a few other people who were smoking or talking. They walked to the edge of the deck, which was surrounded with a thin iron banister, of course preventing anyone from falling off.

And as Alyssa looked over the edge, she realized that it would be a very, long fall. She turned back and looked at Draco who was lighting a cigarette, waiting for him to give her one, but he gave her the one he lit and pulled out his own.

Her 14-year-old schoolgirl self was smiling inside at the thought that the cigarette that was now between her lips was just in between Draco's lips. She took a drag and blew it over Draco's head, "Thanks."

He nodded and turned to drape his arms over the banister. Alyssa was actually surprised at the fact that he smoked, seeing his body earlier made her think that he was some sort of hardcore athlete that would let nothing bring him down. Yet here he was smoking. But then again people had said the same thing about her. But she guessed when the time came, who really didn't ever need a smoke? She voiced her thoughts at him.

Draco smirked at her question. But as hot as it made him look, she always became flustered when he did it.

"I'm guessing you liked what you saw then?" He said rather charmingly.

She was taken aback by the direct question and said, "Well even I knew I was rather obvious." Stating it rather matter-of-factly.

Draco laughed softly, a noise that Alyssa would jot down as the best sound ever.

"I think everyone needs a smoke at one time or another." He stated simply. Déjà vu much?

Draco finished his cigarette before her and threw it over the ledge. "Well, I'm going to bed, I want at least a little bit of sleep tonight."

"Goodnight." Alyssa replied. She watched him go through the doors and disappear from sight. She turned around letting out a deep breath and put out her cigarette, throwing it over the edge as well.

She went to go back inside and turning quickly realized that she had a lot to drink. Shrugging it off she went inside to have another.

Ginny took a gulp of her drink before spinning. Blaise had already landed on her, and her turn after that she landed on a girl, laughing stupidly as she gave her a quick peck on the mouth. Spinning the bottle now, it slowed for a very dramatic time. Everyone stared at the bottle as it came to a stop.

They looked up to see who it was, but it was a gap, and then a bit farther were a pair of legs. Ginny looked at the owner of the legs and let out a snort, giggling furiously.

Alyssa who was now pouring herself a glass of vodka turned at the feeling of people staring. She found a circled bunch with a bottle in the center that was pointed at her.

"Oh! I'm not playing, just getting a drink here." She said nodding to the bottle she was holding.

Blaise looked extremely ecstatic, "You've got to kiss Ginny!"

Alyssa paused laughing for a few seconds, then took a sip of her drink. "What, like, make out with her or something?" She asked taking another sip. She knelt down on the floor in the empty gap of the circle.

Blaise scrunched his nose, "Well, we decided that same sex would only have to do a peck. But if it's different you have to snog."

"Oh well that's okay I guess." Alyssa leaned over the bottle to Ginny who was also leaning forward, and they gave each other a soft peck. After kissing they looked at each other, then burst into hysterics.

"Alright, now it's your turn to spin!" Ginny said pointing at the bottle.

Alyssa spun the bottle and as it started to slow she swallowed the rest of her drink. She put her glass down just as the bottle landed on Blaise. Everyone let out an instinctive 'ooh' and leant in to see them kiss close up.

Blaise, who happened to be sitting next to her, smiled charmingly at her. Alyssa laughed a little, then licked her lips and leaned in to kiss him. They kissed softly like that before Blaise nibbled her lip for her to open her mouth to him. He deepened their kiss and for a moment Alyssa heard "Ooh's" and "Aah's". She started to giggle and broke away from Blaise blushing slightly.

He looked quite smug of himself. Alyssa wasn't feeling too bad either; he was _quite _the kisser. After they kissed everyone seemed to be falling over laughing. Alyssa looked around the room and realized that the party was starting to die down. Looking at her watch she realized it was 2:17 in the morning. She'd be waking up in less than five hours.

She looked over at Ginny who had now occupied herself in a conversation with the guy who had been sitting next to her. Alyssa noticed how well she was flirting and decided to give her a few more moments with the boy.

She got up and walked over to the table that was almost empty of drinks. She refilled her glass with the vodka she drank and gulped it down. The more she was drinking the more she was getting interested in the thought of kissing Blaise, especially after spin the bottle.

Of course it was the alcohol that was talking, but she was drunk, he was hot _and_ a good kisser. There was no wrongdoing right? Right. Or at least in Alyssa's alcohol influenced mind there wasn't. She fetched another cigarette from some boy that was also refilling his glass and tapped Blaise on the shoulder.

"Want to come?" She asked suggestively. He agreed and she brought him outside to where she was before with Draco. It was freezing outside so she did a nice warming charm on herself before lighting up her cigarette.

Taking a drag she inhaled deeply leaning against the wall. She looked at her cigarette in deep thought and realized that it had been bewitched so that the only way it would burn out was to keep on taking drags. Alyssa smiled to herself realizing that would come in handy.

"So," Alyssa started, "How are you doing?"

Blaise looked at her smiling and replied, "Well, I'm quite trashed. And you?"

Alyssa giggled, which she seemed to be doing a lot of and flicked some ash to the ground.

"The same, actually."

She didn't really know how it happened, really. But one moment she was smoking and the next minute Blaise was kissing her again, pinning her against the wall. One of his hands was wrapped around her waist and the other was against the wall next to her head.

Alyssa realized that Blaise was a _great_ kisser indeed. He did everything she loved, nibbled her lip, stroked her side, and even twirled her hair around his fingers. Alyssa brought her thigh up against his hip and pulled him closer by his shirt. He ran his hand along her thigh and pushed her tighter against the wall.

Suddenly there was a loud "_Ahem_" and Blaise and Alyssa broke apart.

"Sorry to burst you twos bubble," Ginny said with her hands on her hips, "But its 2:33, and I think it's time that we get out of here." She finished, indicating Alyssa.

Alyssa let out a deep breath letting out a bit of laughter, and let go of Blaise.

"I'll see you tomorrow," He said with his voice cracking.

Alyssa looked at him and smiled, "Goodnight." She found her still lit cigarette on the top of the banister and nicked it as she left.

She walked towards Ginny, who grabbed her by the elbow and led her off the deck. Once they got out of the room and in the hallways Ginny let her go and said, "Well what the _bloody_ hell was that about?"

They both had to admit they were pretty drunk and stumbled as they walked, "Well, I don't know really. It just kind of happened." She shrugged and tucked the cigarette in between her lips taking a drag.

"Are you mad? You can't go stumbling around Hogwarts with a lit fag in your mouth!"

Alyssa considered this for a moment, but she put a charm on the smoke to make it smell like air freshener and continued to smoke the rest of it.

Ginny laughed at her and then sighed, "Well you're lucky. Your room is right here I've got to walk across the entire school."

Alyssa flopped her hand around in Ginny's face and said, "You can crash in my room. Hermione _should_ understand and my bed is big enough for two _trolls_."

"Well, I guess it's your room then."

"Yes just be very quiet."

They entered their common room and softly closed the doors. Alyssa continued to her room before Ginny started hitting her in the arm.

"What the crap?" Alyssa said.

Ginny pointed to Draco's door. "You've got to give me a peak. You explained his body in pure perfection."

"Are you crazy!" Alyssa whispered loudly.

Ginny gave her a look. "What do you think?"

Alyssa looked at his door as well, "Okay, but just because I'm intoxicated. But if he's sleeping fully dressed we're out of there!"

They giggled together but then quieted down as they approached his door. Alyssa grabbed the doorknob and twisted it as slowly as she possibly could. The door opened.

Ginny, standing impatiently behind her, gave Alyssa a quick little nudge. Alyssa tripped on her boot and fell the rest of the way in.

Ginny snorted and tried to keep quiet as Alyssa was laughing silently on the floor. Ginny walked in but left the door open so they wouldn't have to deal with it later. She pointed at Draco's bed… that was empty. Ginny clapped her hand over her mouth when she saw the light in the bathroom on.

Alyssa was still laughing hysterically laughing on the floor but stopped instantly when the door to the bathroom opened.

Draco walked into his bedroom, finding Ginny Weasley standing in the doorway, and Alyssa Bennington looking up at him from the floor. Alyssa snorted at the look on his face and burst into laughter, no longer silenced.

Ginny was still silent however, Draco was shirtless, and his body was as lovely as Alyssa described.

"Oh Merlin…" She let out.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure, ladies?" Draco said standing in front of his bathroom.

Alyssa stood up and started waving her arms about in some sort of ghost way, "This is just a dream…" She said warily, "You are sleeping in your nice cozy bed." But she still could not contain her laughter.

Ginny swatted at her on the back and Alyssa stopped laughing. "Alright, it was all Ginny's idea, not mine, I tried to stop her but she's very violent see?"

Ginny hit her again and glared.

"And what was the Weaslette's clever idea?"

Alyssa stuttered for a moment, then putting her hands up and looked to Ginny. "Yes what was your clever idea Ginny?"

"Well… er… I'm very drunk! I don't know what I'm doing!" Alyssa looked at her as if she should've come up with something better. "I don't owe you a _thing_ Malfoy!"

He looked quite taken aback, Ginny stuck her chin up in the air and marched out.

"Well I think that's my cue." Alyssa said following Ginny. Once she shut Draco's door she turned to Ginny.

"I told you it was a bad idea!"

"Well how was I supposed to know he was awake!"

"It was a bad idea to begin with!"

"Yes, well you barely objected. You're at fault just as much as I am!"

Alyssa considered for a moment then nodded her head. "I suppose you're right."

Ginny nodded in agreement, then looking at her watch and seeing it was 2:57 suggested they go to bed. Alyssa let her borrow a pair of pajamas and got into bed.

"You know… you'll have a lot of explaining to do when Hermione wakes up."

"_Shh!_"


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione woke up at precisely 6:45 in the morning. She didn't really know why she did that considering classes started at 8. But then again she did develop a routine every year so it didn't matter much.

Her usual morning started off fetching coffee from the kitchens. She would then sit on the common room armchair in front of a roasting fire and read the _Daily Prophet_ while drinking her coffee.

After finishing reading she would take a shower and change into her uniform, by which time it would be around 7:30, enough time to head down to the Great Hall and enjoy breakfast.

This morning, however, her routine was slightly disturbed from finding Ginny and Alyssa in bed together snoring as loud as lawn mowers. She was wondering how she could have possibly slept through the night.

Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to the kitchen to get her coffee. When she returned she was greeted by Malfoy sitting in _her_ chair. He was never up this early, or even if he was he was either gone or still in his room.

"And could you tell me the reason why Ginny and Alyssa are snoring loudly in the same bed?" She questioned.

Draco barely looked up at her; he was writing what seemed to be an essay or letter.

"Yes, but I don't think you'd have the answer as to what they were doing in my room at 3 in the morning."

Hermione looked at him blankly.

"Didn't think so."

Slightly irked, Hermione finished her coffee and decided to read her paper at breakfast. She went back to her room and walked over to Alyssa's bed and slowly bent over.

They both were in odd positions; Alyssa wasn't even in the covers and had one leg hanging off the bed, and one arm lying over her face. Her mouth was wide opened and she was still snoring incredibly loud.

Ginny on the other hand, she was wrapped entirely in the blankets. She was rolled over to the very edge of the bed and her legs were up to her chest, rolling her into a ball.

Hermione decided to have a little bit pleasure this morning and gave Alyssa a small slap across the face.

Alyssa bolted up in the bed muttering, "Oh my fucking god." She was breathing slightly heavy.

"God what time is it?" She said rubbing her eyes.

"About 7:00" Hermione answered looking at the clock.

"Man I have to piss!" Alyssa said. She jumped up from the bed and ran into the bathroom shouting, "Wake Ginny up too!"

When Alyssa returned from the bathroom, Ginny was sitting up in her bed ruffling her hair.

"Well that wasn't too bad was it?" She asked Hermione. "Not sick, not late for class, a little tired. It could've been much worse I supposed."

Hermione walked over to her closet and started pulled out her uniform. "Yes, _much_ worse. But just because it went well last night, doesn't mean it was a good thing to do either."

"Well, whatever. I'm going back to my room. Need some clothes and all." Ginny announced. She got up, stumbling as she did, "Never mind the whole 'not sick' thing. I've got quite the headache." She said walking out the door.

Alyssa changed as well and waited for Hermione to get her books before heading to breakfast.

"You know Hermione? I had the weirdest dream ever last night."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Yeah well I'm sure that might have to do with the fact that you were probably completely trashed last night."

"I know… I thought that too. But there were things that were a bit… specific."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well I don't remember the whole thing. But I remember a green flashing light. I had fallen down a flight of stairs too; I was covered in blood. Not sure if it was mine or not."

Hermione stopped. "A _green_ flashing light?" Alyssa looked at her noticing the grim look she had.

"The killing curse, I know." They continued walking, now entering the Great Hall. "But I've never dreamt things like this before."

"Harry has. You should ask him about it. I mean it might be nothing, dreams are dreams. But it can't hurt can it?"

Alyssa shrugged, taking a seat at the table. "Nah, I guess it can't." She started loading her plate with food and decided she wouldn't mention her dream to Harry unless they continued, or got worse.

A few moments later, Ginny walked in looking a shade paler than she had before, followed by Ron and Harry.

"You okay?" Alyssa asked as Ginny sat down next to her.

"I'll live." She said gravely. She grabbed a bowl of cornflakes and started to eat.

"So…" Hermione said smirking, "Either of you two going to tell me why you were in Malfoy's bedroom last night?"

Ginny choked on her cornflakes and Alyssa looked up staring at Hermione. Ron on the other hand was turning a nasty shade of red and was nearly shaking.

"You were WHAT!" He shouted. Many people's heads turned to look and see what the fuss was about.

Ginny wiped off her mouth and pouted at her brother. "I was fast asleep in my bed." She said rather quickly. She sent a glare at Hermione who looked rather smug of herself.

"What on earth are you talking about Hermione?" Alyssa asked, covering rather well.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Well… I was in his room last night. But I was alone." Ginny looked at her and Ron settled down a bit. "Ginny went to bed long before I did."

Hermione opened her mouth but the look Alyssa gave her made her shut it again.

"Why were _you_ in his room then?" Ron asked.

Alyssa paused for a moment then said, "Well you know what? It's none of your business why I was in his room a-and that's all there is to it." She seemed rather satisfied with her answer and continued on with her breakfast.

"So… History of Magic today, sounds eventful." Harry said sarcastically. Alyssa looked at him gratefully for changing the subject.

Ron sunk into his seat, a scowl forming on his face. "That class is always so boring."

"Yeah, well, as long as I make it through the week I'm fine." Alyssa said.

The next two weeks went rather smoothly. Yes, the classes were boring, seeing as it was only the beginning of school. But things had gone rather well. Alyssa pretty much knew everyone in each of her classes and they all seemed to like her.

The only thing Alyssa wasn't enjoying was the load of homework that she had received. Potions especially, by the time the weekend had came she had her fifth essay due on Monday.

But even with the homework, Alyssa seemed to handle it rather well. She had always been a good student; she didn't even try extremely hard like Hermione would. She noticed Hermione staying up late trying to fit in any possible detail that could ensure her _full_ credit.

Alyssa never remembered working so hard as Hermione did, but still received better than good marks.

Harry and Ron on the other hand, were completely different stories. They always put everything off to the last minute, which wasn't always the best idea. Alyssa would spend the evening in the Gryffindor common room, and going to bed late would find them still working on homework they hadn't finished.

She somewhat could understand though. Quidditch was their favorite thing to do and tried to fit it in as much as possible. Being their last year at Hogwarts, they wanted that Cup in the shoe.

As to Alyssa's dream, she only had the one the night of the party. They stopped after that night so she brushed it off believing that the reason for her dream was her intoxication at the party.

It was now Friday evening, dinner was nearly over as much of the students left already. Alyssa excused herself and walked outside to the lake to have a cigarette, all the while thinking that she should quit.

Shrugging, she continued out through the doors and walked down a hill towards the lake. She walked onto the dock and pulled a cigarette out as she reached the edge. Sitting down she lit up and took a drag.

She felt a sudden presence, but hadn't heard anything. Without turning she said, "Who's there?"

"Interesting… I thought I was rather silent." A smooth deep voice replied.

Alyssa turned around; Draco was standing still on the grass, not even on the dock yet. She smiled warmly at him and shifted from the center of the dock, making room for him. He walked over and sat down next to her with his legs dangling over the edge.

"So what's up?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Bored really, saw you come out here and decided to follow."

Alyssa nodded looking up at the sky. Seeing there was a full moon tonight she said, "Werewolves are out."

"What?"

She pointed to the sky, "Oh. You know, we had a werewolf professor teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts in my third year."

"I know." He looked at her quizzically. "Remus Lupin, he's my godfather."

"Really?"

"Yep. He was a pretty close friend of mydad – before he went all _AWOL_ and everything."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked blankly. Alyssa was extremely surprised at this.

She looked at him, "Don't you know?" he shook his head. "Brian Shepard… ringing any bells?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and suddenly his expression became darker. "Of course."

Alyssa turned back looking into the dark water, kicking her feet back and forth. She slightly regretted saying that, he of course new now who she was talking about and how it was his father's fault of the circumstances.

"He's your father." He said a little quieter. Now she really regretted telling him. Alyssa honestly thought he knew, he had to have known. Well technically he did know, he just didn't know exactly that her father was Brian Shepard.

"I'm not going to be like him you know." He said after a moment of silence. She looked at him concerned. "Lucius…" he said his name darkly.

"Well I can't say that doesn't make me happy." She said smiling. He nodded but still looked a bit upset. Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"Well c'mon! Cheer up. It's not your fault and if I'm over it you shouldn't take it too personally." She stood up taking one last drag of her cigarette and flicked it into the lake.

"Lets get inside." She said with her hands on her hips. "It's getting chilly."

Draco stood up as well and for a moment they were extremely close. Alyssa had to tilt her head up to look at him and her heart fluttered in her chest. He stood still, staring at her, causing her to shiver.

She switched her gaze back to the castle and started walking. "You know, for being the 'big bad' you don't talk to much."

He laughed, "The big bad? Where's that come from I wonder?"

"The trio." She replied simply, knowing he knew what she meant. "They're pretty weird you know. Besides Harry though."

Draco seemed to stiffen slightly at the name. "Potter."

"Oh right, forgot. _Enemies_ and all." She said emphasizing her sarcasm. "He's not that bad y'know."

He stopped and looked at her. "Alright I give in, he's horrible." She said slapping the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. "Now let's get inside." She grabbed his elbow and dragged him along the dock all the way back to the castle.

Once they got back to their common room, Alyssa said she was going to take a shower and go to sleep. She grabbed comb, finding Hermione sitting at her desk with three books opened in front of her, and headed towards the bathroom. Glancing quickly at her watch that read 9:23, she slipped into the shower.

While Hermione was doing her homework there was a slight knock at the door. She glared at the ceiling and tried to ignore it before there was another knock, harder than the first.

Making a slight growling sound she slammed her quill onto the desk and got up heading for the door. Opening it she found Ginny.

"Hey, what's going on?" Hermione asked. She noticed Blaise Zabini standing beside her and furrowed her brows.

"Well there's a party tonight and we were wondering if you and Alyssa wanted to go?" Ginny asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "For Merlin's sake, is that all you two do? Go to parties and get trashed?"

Ginny scowled at her and crossed her arms over her chest. Blaise rolled his eyes and took a seat on the couch in the common room.

"No that is not _all_ we do. We've been to _two_ parties since the beginning of term, thank you very much."

"Yes well anyway, I've got loads of homework to finish and Alyssa's in the shower so I can't help you."

Ginny paused for a moment, then said, "I guess we'll go then. Goodnight Hermione."

Hermione forced a smile and shut the door. She went to sit back down at her desk and continued working. A few minutes later Alyssa walked out of the bathroom wearing her bathrobe, with a towel wrapped around her head.

She sat down at the edge of her bed and started combing out her hair. After a few minutes, Alyssa got into bed.

"Don't you wear clothes when you sleep?" Hermione asked.

Alyssa looked down at herself under her blanket, she was only wearing a bra and panties. Shrugging she replied, "Sometimes. I feel clustered with pajamas when I'm really tired."

Hermione tilted her head considering her answer, then nodded and said, "Goodnight."

Alyssa soon fell asleep. Hermione could hear her light snore as she finished her homework, then got in bed herself.

It was about one o'clock in the morning when Ginny told Draco to go and fetch Alyssa. They were hanging out in the Great Hall, even though they were risking getting caught and such.

"She's probably fast asleep." Draco said objecting.

Ginny looked at him with her eyebrows raised, "So?" It was her, Draco, Blaise, Ginny's friend Audrey, Harry, and a two other Slytherins who Ginny was at lost for with their names.

Draco shrugged and walked out of the Great Hall silently. He checked to make sure the coast was clear and headed for their common room. He made it there quickly and silently opened the door to her bedroom, not wanting to wake up Hermione.

He saw Alyssa sleeping in the bed to his left, and taking a glance at Hermione walked over to Alyssa.

Crouching over her bed he realized that she wasn't wearing a shirt and just had a red bra on. He took a moment for his eyes to roam her upper body. He could've already guessed she had a nice body; he already was accustomed to the fact that she was amazingly gorgeous.

In fact, he was already extremely jealous of Blaise, who told him about the little snogging session he had with Alyssa. Rolling his eyes, and not letting the devil side of him take over; he rubbed on her arm to wake her up.

She slowly stirred and when she finally awoke she was about to let out a scream when he quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"It's Draco." He whispered, and she relaxed. She tried speaking to him but failed, his hand still covering her mouth.

"Oh – sorry." He said removing his hand.

Alyssa sat up in her bed, not bothering to cover herself up and asked, "What time is it?"

Draco shrugged, "One in the morning I suppose?"

"And I'm being awakened because?"

He rolled his eyes. "A couple of us are in the Great Hall and Ginny sent me to come and get you."

Alyssa shrugged, feeling more awake anyway. "Whatever." She said, she threw her blanket off her, revealing the rest of her body, and got out of bed. "Just let me get dressed."

She walked over to her closet, allowing Draco to once again let his eyes roam over her. She pulled on some shorts and put on a baggy t-shirt. Grabbing some slippers she turned back to Draco showing she was ready to go.

As they made their way back towards the Great Hall, Draco heard a sound that made him stop.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked. He held up a hand silencing her and narrowed his eyes as if listening for something. And when the sound came Alyssa heard it too. Footsteps.

"C'mon." Draco said grabbing her hand. They walked down the hallway a little faster before they came up to a broom closet.

"Oh no way." Alyssa said protesting.

"I'm sorry, did you want to spend a weeks evenings in detention? Because I sure as hell don't."

Alyssa hesitated, but then followed him in.

Which she regretted. The room was very tiny. Extremely tiny. Alyssa could've expected this. She was stuck, in very close proximity with Draco Malfoy. A guy she had the hots for the moment she saw him. She rolled her eyes just thinking of the predictability.

Alyssa now found herself pressed up against Draco, her hands on his chest and his hands above her head. It was so silent she could hear her own heart beating fast. She only hoped he couldn't.

But she wasn't the only one trying to keep calm. Draco was trying so hard not to fidget around. His face was just above hers and if he leant forward just a tiny bit he would be able to kiss her.

Finally, answering both their prayers, the footsteps walked by and a few moments after they exploded out of the broom closet.

"Well that's a relief." Alyssa said brushing off the butt of her shorts.

"Yes, let's move on shall we?" Draco said adjusting his shirt.

They continued to the Great Hall that was turned to silence.

"Some party eh?" Alyssa asked sarcastically. They walked through the doors and all they met was silence.

All of a sudden a light blinded her vision and she heard giggling.

"Jeez, what the hell is going on?" She demanded shielding her eyes.

"Oh Blaise, put out the light!"

"Well it's not my fault, Filch was just wandering around here."

"Oh who cares, just put out that light!" Alyssa shouted.

Blaise pointed his lit wand to the ground and lit a couple of candles.

Ginny gave Alyssa a hug, "Glad you could make it, good work Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes and walked up to the Staff table and sat down on the steps.

"What have you guys been doing?" Alyssa asked. "And is it so great we had to wake poor me up?"

Ginny laughed pulling her down to sit on the floor. "Yes." She stated simply.

"So what took you so long anyway? We sent Draco up to get you like twenty minutes ago." Blaise said with a smug look on his face.

"That's funny." Alyssa said sarcastically. "Filch caught up to us so we had to hide." Blaise walked over to Draco and sat down next to him. Alyssa looked around the empty Great Hall noticing there were other people as well besides the four of them. Harry was sitting on a table talking to Ginny's friend Audrey, and two boys wearing Slytherin robes joined Blaise and Draco.

Alyssa was left standing with Ginny, their only light being a tiny candle.

"I'm going to die with all this torture." Alyssa said whispering.

She could barely make out Ginny's confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Me and Draco were stuffed inside a broom closet, I was all pressed up against that bod of his and if we had been there any longer I would've pounced at him… Well no need to pounce, my face was about an inch from his."

Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes.

"So Harry's here? I'm surprised to see him with all these Slytherins about." Alyssa commented, nodding her head towards him sitting on the table. He looked up seeing her and she waved at him.

"Yeah, well, on my way down here he was in the common room so I made him come. He's been talking to Audrey all night. The git."

Alyssa laughed as Ginny shouted at him, "Bugger off will you?" Harry rolled his eyes at her.

Ginny looked back at her, "You want a drink or something?"

"Ah yes please." Alyssa replied with a breath of relief. Now she knew she was missing sleep for some good stuff.


	4. Chapter 4

Alyssa woke up with a throbbing headache on Saturday, around 12:30 pm. Her vision became less blurred as she looked around at her surroundings. Her bed was different, bigger than normal. And the comforters were also different; they were white with dark green sheets instead of her usual auburn color.

But then the sound of a running shower caused memories to flood back in.

It was about 4 in the morning when Alyssa and Draco walked back to their rooms. Well, more of a stumble rather than walk. As she reached her door and turned the knob, it wouldn't open.

What Alyssa didn't know was, after she left Hermione woke up and deciding not to be further bothered, locked the door. Alyssa turned the knob repeatedly but it didn't budge. And she had also left her wand in her bedroom so she was at a loss.

So looking at Draco, she asked if she could spend the night in his room, which he agreed to.

Now Alyssa was in his bed, while he was in the shower. And prior to anyone's belief, although they slept in the same bed, nothing went on. She was still fully clothed, the sheets weren't on the floor and the room didn't smell of sex. So she was positive that nothing like that happened. That and the fact that she would praise the memory of them _doing_ anything forever.

She then heard the water stop and a few moments afterwards Draco walked into the room.

Rubbing her eyes she said, "God you have to stop walking around like that." Indicating the fact that he was only wearing a towel, his hair still dripping with water.

He nodded agreeing, "Yeah well, I thought you were sleeping. My apologies."

She rolled her eyes, but sat up straighter checking out his bum as he bent over reaching for clothes in his drawers. He sat down at the edge of the bed and pulled on a white t-shirt, followed by boxers, which he swiftly put on underneath his towel as if knowing already Alyssa was checking him out.

He walked over to the window and threw open the shades, dousing the room with bright light. Alyssa immediately shielded her eyes and let out a moan burying her head into the pillow.

"Shut them back!" she shouted, although her voice was muffled.

"Not a morning person eh?" he said with an amused expression. "I'll bring you back some coffee." He walked out of the room and to the kitchens.

Alyssa sat back up and opened her eyes, wincing at how bright it was. She wished they were closed, that the room was dark. And in a blink of an eye the shades snapped shut.

She paused, wondering how she did that. Shrugging, she lay back in bed and sighed. She felt completely relaxed, realizing his bed was definitely more comfy then hers.

A few minutes later, Draco returned carrying two big mugs of coffee.

"Granger's out there you know. Big pain in my arse. She started questioning me if we had sex or anything."

Alyssa looked up and grabbed the mug from him taking a sip of coffee. She felt her headache ease away. Draco put down his mug and stretched, she was now looking at him in his t-shirt and a pair of sweats. She put down her mug as well and reached out for his hand. He looked surprised for a moment but then covered it up.

Without even really thinking, she pulled him forward so he fell into bed with her. He really couldn't tell what she was trying to do but he relaxed as she put her head down on his chest. She sighed smiling to herself. Finally… a little closeness with Draco Malfoy.

"And what was that for?" Draco asked.

Alyssa swatted his chest, "Oh shut up will you?"

They lay together in bed for a few moments, before Ginny came piling in. Piling meaning extremely loud. She took one look at Draco and Alyssa laying in bed together, Alyssa's arm around his waist and her head on his chest.

She smirked at them, "I _knew_ it, I totally knew it."

Alyssa could feel Draco roll his eyes. "Nothing happened." She explained. Ginny rolled her eyes in return.

"Yeah, yeah." Draco sat up from the bed and Alyssa sent glares at Ginny who continued, "Well anyway, Blaise and I want to go to Hogsmeade for dinner tonight, you up for it?"

Alyssa sat up excitedly, "Oh yes! I didn't want to wait till _October_ for our first visit."

"Well we're not _exactly_ allowed," Ginny said shrugging. "But it's a Saturday and nobody seems to care that much since we go anyway."

"Yes, well I'm in." Alyssa said smiling. She looked at Draco who looked like he wasn't really listening. Felling them both stare at him, he looked up.

"What?"

Alyssa hit him in the arm then asked, "Are you going?"

"Sure, why not?" He answered shrugging. Alyssa rolled her eyes then hopped off the bed. Straightening her clothes she said, "Well I'm gonna get dressed and stuff, I'm sure I look like shit."

Ginny laughed and they both headed out the door, leaving Draco in his room.

"So you really didn't do anything, eh?" Ginny asked again as they entered Alyssa's room. Alyssa rolled her eyes again as she grabbed a pair of jeans from her closet and a red short sleeved button up.

"No we didn't do anything." Alyssa said, as she got undressed next to her bed. Ginny walked over to Alyssa's desk and flipped through a copy of _Witch Weekly_.

"Then what was that business when I walked in the room?" She asked referring to finding them in bed together.

Alyssa chuckled lightly as she buttoned her shirt. "I don't really know exactly. I kinda just pulled him in bed with me." Ginny looked up at her with one eyebrow raised. "Well I'm sick of this no contact! I haven't been in… _touch_… with a guy since my ex boyfriend. And he's so gorgeous!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and went on with her magazine as Alyssa continued to rant. "And I can't help it you know. He was just there, and I was just like, 'Well, enough of this!' And don't look at me all weird like that 'cause I know you would've done the same thing!"

She took a deep breath and furrowed her eyebrows. She was surprised she actually went on a rant about that.

As if reading her mind, Ginny responded, "You fancy the git."

Alyssa's head snapped up, "What?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and tossed the magazine back onto Alyssa's desk.

"You fancy him you moron. It's totally obvious." She said walking over to her and placing her hand on Alyssa's shoulder.

"I've known him for two weeks. Emphasis on the two."

"Well it's obvious you wanna shag him." Ginny paused, and Alyssa nodded in complete agreement. "But let's be true to ourselves and admit you fancy him as well."

Alyssa slapped Ginny's hand and said, "Oh stop with this 'fancy' nonsense. I do not like him."

"Oh yeah? What's one thing you don't like about him?"

Alyssa pondered for a moment then said, "Ah! He doesn't talk a lot. And me, I'm very outgoing you see. I like people who talk."

Ginny flopped her hand around in Alyssa's face. "That's _besides_ the point!"

Alyssa was about to say something else but Hermione walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe.

"That was a lovely trick you pulled on me last night Hermione."

Hermione smiled brightly, "Yes, I had thought so myself." She sat down on her bed and ran her fingers through her wet hair.

"Right, well let's get to lunch then shall we?" Ginny asked. Alyssa nodded and they both headed to the Great Hall. As they got towards the long staircase however, Alyssa stopped at the top looking down the railing.

"What?" Ginny asked already down three steps.

"I used to do this in my old school, and its been tempting me since the moment I saw it."

Ginny looked confused but Alyssa backed up a few steps and charged for the railing. Jumping on top of it, her butt landed, sending her flying down the staircase railing.

"You're out of your mind!" Ginny shouted.

Alyssa slid all the way down and just before the end came, somebody decided to walk right in front of it.

Looking up she shouted, "Harry!" he looked up and stopped instantly as she came flying at him. She shrieked as she slammed into him knocking both of them to the ground, Alyssa on top of him.

She lifted her head off his chest panting a bit, "Harry! I'm so sorry!"

Harry smiled a bit, readjusting his glasses. "It's quite alright," He said although his voice was strained a bit. "My perfect reflexes prepared myself just in time." He joked.

Alyssa smiled at him as a slight _ahem_ could be heard. She looked up at Ginny tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Have a bit of a tumble did we?"

Alyssa looked around the hall; students did stop to look at the pair on the floor, and looking down at herself straddling Harry she could understand why. She grabbed his hand and helped him up as he brushed off his shirt.

"Sorry." She muttered again. He rolled his eyes and they all walked into the Great Hall for some food.

Alyssa sat down and grabbed a sandwich, she was now extremely hungry and her grumbling stomach felt relieved at last.

"Did you just wake up?" Harry asked. She nodded as Ron came walking in and sat down across from her.

"What time did you sleep last night?" She asked in return.

Harry thought for a moment as he took a sip of some orange juice. "Probably around 5. I went up a little bit after you did."

"What were you doing last night?" Ron asked.

Ginny laughed as she put some butter on toast. "Wouldn't you like to know, brother dearest?"

Ron shook his head at her, "Already doesn't sound good." He jabbed his fork at Harry and Alyssa, "What have the two of you been doing to my sister?"

Harry made himself look insulted. "As if we would influence her in some devilish way! Honestly, Ron."

Alyssa nodded in agreement, "If anyone's doing the influence it's _her_. Waking me up in the darkest hours of the night!"

Ron, taking this all very seriously became red in the face, "And what have you been doing in the middle of the night, Ginny?" She rolled her eyes. "Y'know, mum's always blaming me for these kinds of things."

"How sad. See this?" She asked rubbing her thumb and forefinger together near her ear, "It's a tiny violin, playing your symphony."

Ron raised his fork again, "Don't start with that bollocks!"

Ginny put her hand down and sighed, continuing on with her food.

Just before leaving for dinner, Alyssa made her way back to her room. Harry, Hermione and Ron were all sitting in the common room working hard on homework. Harry and Ron, still putting things off to the last second, were really the ones doing the work, and Hermione was helping.

Alyssa said hey to all of them before continuing to her room. She took out a pair of boots from her closet that was about knee high with three-inch heel. She zipped them up then walked into the bathroom to fix her hair.

She combed through it and it fell to her chest in soft waves. After spraying on some perfume she grabbed her cloak and walked out.

"Where you off to?" Harry asked looking up as she reached the door.

Alyssa stopped and turned around, "Going out for dinner, want to come?"

He smiled but Hermione cut in saying, "Harry's got work to finish."

Alyssa chuckled and rolled her eyes, "G'night mom!" She turned and walked out the door and up to Gryffindor tower to get Ginny.

Ginny was in her dorm when she found her. She was fixing her hair in the mirror when she saw Alyssa and turned smiling.

"Ooh," Alyssa breathed as she looked at Ginny, "Someone looks hot tonight."

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror finishing with her hair. She was wearing black pants with boots and a dark green tank top. She slapped her hands on her thighs as she turned back to Alyssa.

"Well, guess I'm ready." She grabbed her cloak and followed Alyssa out the door. They made their way to the entrance doors where they were going to meet Blaise and Draco just outside.

"So what's all the dressing up for?" Alyssa asked Ginny.

"Oh honestly, I'm not that dressed up."

"Really? That's interesting 'cause this afternoon you were just wearing some ripped jeans and a t-shirt."

Ginny nodded and started blushing a bit. Alyssa stopped short just as they reached the doors.

"Are you trying to impress someone?"

Ginny shook her head but started blushing even more.

"Yes you are!" Alyssa was smiling brightly as she came to a realization. "You're totally crushing on Blaise!"

"Well I'm not really-"

"Yes you are!" Alyssa said for the second time in a row. "It makes sense actually. I've noticed you two hanging out a lot lately." She added with narrowed eyes.

"Sod it, lets just go alright?" Ginny said walking forward, trying to look angry but failing as she giggled.

They walked outside and were welcomed with a brisk night. Alyssa shivered and tightened her cloak around her, flipping up her hood.

Blaise and Draco were standing a few feet ahead chatting, but turned as Alyssa and Ginny approached.

"Gentlemen." Alyssa greeted.

"Ladies." They replied in unison.

They stood there for a moment and Alyssa took the time to whip out a cigarette and light up. "Shall we?" She said after taking her first drag. They all nodded and headed down to a path that lead to a bridge that would eventually lead to Hogsmeade.

About a half hour later, they arrived at a candle-lit restaurant. It was rather large and pretty crowded but Blaise had sent out reservations via owl. Blaise gave his name to the hostess at the front and they were lead to a booth in the back of the restaurant.

There was a small chandelier with lit candles above the table. The booth was C-shaped with cream-colored cushions with a tablecloth to match. They sat down with Ginny and Alyssa on the inside, Draco and Blaise on the outside.

Pretty soon a waitress came by to take orders for drinks, and when she came back, the first few buttons on her blouse seemed to come un-done.

Alyssa raised her eyebrows as the waitress dipped her chest in front of Blaise as she put the drink down and walked away with a little swing of the hips.

"Someone has a thing for you Blaise." She said.

Blaise acted as if nothing had even happened, "What're you talking about?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes taking a sip from her drink. "Oh please. Even_ I _could tell she wasn't wearing a bra."

Draco laughed but as she looked at him his eyes were wondering around the restaurant as if paranoid or something. She shrugged and took off her cloak.

During the dinner Alyssa realized that Blaise probably liked Ginny as well. They seemed to get closer and closer as time went by and they were doing most of the talking. Draco and Alyssa were practically seated in silence as they ate their delicious food.

After dinner they stepped outside and the weather had gone from brisk to pouring rain in about one hour. And it wasn't even humid or anything, just plain old freezing.

They all put their cloaks on and flipped up their hoods as they stepped out from under the front of the building.

"It's freezing!" Ginny shouted over the sounds of the rain.

"Let's make this quick and get to Hogwarts ASAP." Alyssa said tugging her cloak around her tighter.

The time it took to get back to the castle was about ten minutes less than it took to get to Hogsmeade. Once they made it inside they took off their cloaks that were soaked and cast heating charms on themselves.

They all went back to Draco and Alyssa's common room to hang out a bit before they went to bed. Alyssa changed into some pajamas and grabbed some unfinished homework before joining the rest of them around the fireplace.

Ginny was the first one to bid farewell, complaining about how her brother would freak if he found out she was out past 11.

A little bit longer, as Alyssa did reading for Potions, Blaise left as well leaving her and Draco alone. It was total silence except for the cackling of the fire and the scribbling of her quill as she took notes.

When Hermione walked in, Alyssa quickly looked at the clock, then back at her.

"You're out at 11:30! You're as bad as me!" She said in a singing voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes and threw her cloak over the couch.

"I have purpose to be, I'm Head Girl." She said rather matter-of-factly.

Alyssa snapped her book shut and walked over to a desk where she put it down. Hermione walked next to her putting a new notice on the board.

"What's that?" Alyssa asked.

"Oh, it's just a reminder of the Christmas Ball we're having."

"Are we really? You're planning this already."

Hermione nodded, "Got to be prepared. Malfoy, you're doing rounds now."

Alyssa looked over at Draco and noticed him sigh deeply and run his hand through his hair. Hermione bid goodnight and walked into her room. Draco stood up, pocketing his wand and went to the notice board where Alyssa was perched on the desk to see where he would be patrolling.

"Duty calls." He said looking at her.

"Goodnight," She replied smiling. For a moment he stood there still, leaning with his fists pressing on top of the desk. He looked as if he was contemplating something, which was making Alyssa paranoid.

Draco leaned back smiling and her breath hitched in her throat as he leaned towards her and pressed his lips against her cheek.

Alyssa literally stopped breathing. He stood back up and said softly, "Goodnight." He turned and left the room. She let out a deep breath and pressed her fingers to her cheek.

"What the hell?" She asked herself aloud. She rolled her eyes, hopped down from the desk and walked into her room to go to bed.

September flew away and October slipped in more quickly than anyone expected. The first Quidditch match came and went, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, Gryffindor won 210 to 50 and ended with an exciting victory party.

It was now a week and a half from Halloween and there was already a huge party planned to take place in the Prefects quarters. At news of this, Dumbledore was extremely nice and granted the morning of classes off for the day after Halloween, being that it fell on a Tuesday.

It was Thursday evening and Alyssa and Hermione were sitting in the Quidditch stands watching Harry run a practice. They were drinking coffee and were wearing hats and gloves due to the freezing weather outside.

"It's bloody freezing out here!" Hermione shouted over the crisp wind. He pulled down her hat over her ears and took a sip from her coffee.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "It was your idea to come here I remember. And it's not _that_ bad."

"Not that bad? How is it not that bad?" Hermione asked.

Alyssa leaned down and put the coffee on top of the bench in front of her. Taking off the glove on her right hand she turned to Hermione. "Promise not to freak?" She asked.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows but fully turned towards her. Alyssa reached her bare hand out and placed it on top of Hermione's chest just below her neck. Hermione stared down at it.

Alyssa's tan colored hand glowed a light red color and Hermione felt immense warmth coarse throughout her body. Reaching from her head, to fingertips, to toes.

As she sighed, Alyssa removed her hand and put it back in the glove.

"How'd you do that?"

"Magic." Alyssa replied rather flatly.

"Yeah, pretty intense magic. Your hand was bloody glowing! No one can just _do_ that." Hermione said shaking her head.

Alyssa took a deep breath not really knowing how to explain the situation. She'd been able to do stuff like that since she could remember, but to her they were just little things.

"My mom told me when I was little I had these powers in me. Nothing specific, they have to be triggered some way. I just thought of it as wandless magic." She said shrugging.

"Yes but it takes years for witches and wizards to perfect something like that."

Alyssa looked at her, "I didn't perfect it, it was given to me."

Hermione paused for a moment, watching the Quidditch practice. Then she turned back to Alyssa, "I've heard things about this, the trigger? You need an incantation and a potion I think. I could look into it if you want?"

This perked her interests, but she wasn't sure if her powers were actually good or not. She hadn't ever been told. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

As the Quidditch practice ended, Alyssa and Hermione made there way back to the school. It was completely dark out and the cold weather hadn't ceased.

"Damn." Hermione could hear Alyssa say.

"What?" She asked.

"I can't find my cigarettes. I think I left them in my room."

"Is that all you think about? Smoking and going to parties?

"Is that all _you_ think about? Being a pain in my ass?"

"Smoking is already bad enough for you."

Alyssa stopped before the doors of Hogwarts. "As if I don't know?" Hermione opened her mouth to say something but the doors opened and Draco walked through holding a pack of cigarettes and putting one in his mouth.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered something Alyssa couldn't hear. She walked in the door and Alyssa walked up to Draco.

"Hey, can I have one?"

Draco looked at her as he pulled out a lighter. "Y'know, you're going to owe me about 3 packs by the end of the year."

Alyssa stood on her toes, "Please?" She asked making herself look innocent. He rolled his eyes and gave her one. She smiled brightly and lit up.

They walked over underneath a tree together where they were secluded. Alyssa immediately thought of when he kissed her a few weeks ago. Neither of them had mentioned it but it was driving her insane. And Ginny was right; she really was starting to like him. But honestly, who could really blame her?

"So what are you doing out here?" Draco asked.

"I was just watching the Quidditch practice with Hermione. We just started heading in when you came out."

He nodded and looked up into the sky as he took another drag. She wondered if he was thinking about the little kiss he gave her, because to be honest, since that night she was practically thinking about it all the time. Wondering why he did it and if it actually meant something.

When she finished her cigarette she flicked near the lake and stood waiting for Draco to finish his. Once again he looked as if contemplating something.

He took one last drag before flicking it in front of him. He glanced at her as she turned around and headed for the castle.

"Let's go," She called back to him. "It's getting really cold out."

She took one more step before she felt a hand grip her arm. Alyssa turned and looked at Draco. He was extremely close.

"Draco?"

He took one step closer and leaned down towards her, brushing his lips against hers, not exactly kissing her. She looked into his silver eyes, although he wasn't looking at her. His brows were furrowed and he looked extremely frustrated with himself.

He backed away from her, letting out a deep breath. "Sorry." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. Then he took off towards the castle, leaving Alyssa completely and utterly confused.

"What the hell?"

This boy was getting more and more confusing as the days went by.

A/N: reviews please!


	5. Chapter 5

Alyssa marched straight to Gryffindor tower to find Ginny. This entire situation was getting ridiculous. She just could never understand Draco, whenever they got really close he would seem frustrated and back off, as if he didn't even like her. But then why did he keep doing it?

They were practically living together so it was hard enough as it was to keep herself restrained. Plus pretty much all of their classes were together and had been paired up several times in Potions. She was _always_ with him.

She let out a frustrated cry as she walked up the steps to Ginny's dorm and noticed a few heads turn her way.

She busted opened the door, startling Ginny who was doing homework.

"Ginny! You will not believe what just happened!"

Ginny closed her book and slowly sat up on her bed. "What happened?"

Alyssa began pacing the room and was continually running her hands through her hair.

"Draco just kissed me."

"What?" Ginny asked again utterly surprised.

"Well… sort off. He kinda just touched my lips a little bit but there wasn't really big lip locking thing. But then he looked all pissed off about it and _apologized_ as if I didn't even want to kiss him!"

"Well that's daft."

"Yes and its not the first time either. A couple of weeks ago he kissed my cheek and he still looked a bit weird as if he wasn't sure if he should do it or not. But he's driving me insane!"

"Yes it seems he has that effect on you."

Alyssa stopped pacing and glared at Ginny. "How could he possibly think I don't want to kiss him?"

Ginny shrugged. "Well maybe you should kiss him. Not wait for him to kiss you." She suggested.

Alyssa let out a deep breath and collapsed on the bed next to Ginny's. "How am I supposed to do that? He seems so… out there. Y'know?"

She nodded even though it didn't make much sense to her.

"Well don't stress too much about it." Ginny said standing up, "And on a lighter note, we've got our Hogsmeade trip Saturday!"

This perked up Alyssa's interests. She sat up on the bed and smiled at Ginny.

"Right well… I'm gonna go to the common room and sit by the fire for a bit." Alyssa said standing up and heading for the door.

"Alright, see you at breakfast." Ginny said.

Alyssa left the room and walked down the steps. There were barely any students in the common room and as she sat in front of the fire they seemed to disappear one by one. She was completely zoned out into the fire when a voice broke her gaze.

"Alyssa?"

She turned her head to look towards the portrait entrance.

"Oh, hello Harry." She turned back around and pulled her legs up to her stomach. He walked over to the couch she was sitting on and stood next to it.

"What're you doing here?"

"Oh you know, just hanging out by the fire." She said, tearing her gaze from it to look at Harry.

"Jeez Harry, you stud!" She said smiling; she just realized that he was standing there in pajama bottoms and no shirt. He must've just gotten out of the shower because his hair was wet. She could've sworn that if there were more light instead of the fireplace she'd catch him blushing.

Harry instinctively ran a hand through his hair smiling shyly. "When'd you get a bod like that, mister?" Alyssa asked.

"Quidditch I guess." He answered. She laughed and fixed her gaze back onto the fire. "Well, I think I'm going to bed… goodnight."

Alyssa looked up and smiled at him, "Goodnight."

After he was in his dorm, Alyssa sat on the couch for a few more minutes before heading back to her own room. When she got there, Hermione was working on her desk, her hair pinned up to the top of her head.

Alyssa changed into some sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt. There was a slight chill that seemed to have run throughout the entire castle. She bid goodnight to Hermione who dimmed all the lights except the one she was working under.

Alyssa crept under the comforter of her bed, snuggling against them. As her mind drifted, she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

_She was standing in a field. White roses surrounded her, reaching up to just below her fingertips. She ran her fingers through her hair breathing in the fresh air. There weren't houses for miles. This field was meant just for her._

_He approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her softly at the top of her head. _

"_It'll get worse you know." He said._

_She nodded staring up into the sky. "I know, things are never as easy as they seem." She replied. _

"_I'll be there to help you in the end. That's far from now, though." _

_She turned and stared into his beautiful green eyes. "When is the end? What's going to happen to me?"_

_He frowned looking to the ground. "Don't worry about it. It's already been planned. You can't stop it." He finished the sentence sharply._

"_Hey," He said smiling, "Look at that."_

_She turned and suddenly her world spun around her. Now standing on a shiny wooden floor. People were surrounding her but she couldn't see anyone's face. She recognized it though._

"_What's going on?" She asked. But no one answered. She was confused. A bright green light clouded her vision; she felt pain in her chest. _

_Falling to the floor, she screamed, clutching at her chest, wishing for this to stop. Tears filled her eyes; the pain still did not stop. She continued to scream as the pain continued._

_Looking up, her eyes met red. _

"Alyssa? Alyssa! Wake up!"

Alyssa couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. She could barely even move.

"Alyssa can you hear me?"

Slowly her vision cleared. Hermione was standing above her, looking a mess.

"Can you move? I've got to get you to the hospital wing."

She nodded absentmindedly. Hermione grabbed her arm, swinging it around her neck, and heaved Alyssa up out of bed into a standing position.

"Can you walk?" She asked. Alyssa took one step and her legs gave way. She collapsed to the floor landing hard on her stomach. She vomited on the floor and rolled over on her side to stay out of it.

"Oh god. I'm getting Malfoy."

Alyssa was panting on the floor; she was burning up, drenched in sweat from head to toe. She faintly heard Hermione run out of the room, then was accompanied by another set of footsteps accompany her as she came back.

"Merlin, what happened?" She heard Draco say.

"She's really sick, she was screaming in her sleep and when I went to wake her up she was drenched in sweat." Pointing her wand at the floor, Hermione muttered, "_Scourgify_."

Alyssa felt arms wrap underneath her neck and legs picking her up from the floor. She moaned in pain as the pain in her chest and head increased.

"Be _careful_!" Hermione snapped.

"Granger, _shut up_." Draco adjusted Alyssa in his arms then walked through the doors quickly, Hermione following him to the hospital wing.

Once they got there, they startled Madame Pomfrey who was in her sleeping gown.

"What could possibly happen at 3 in the morning?" She snapped at them.

Draco lay Alyssa down on the nearest bed as Hermione explained what happened.

"She was having a bad dream, screaming in her sleep and she woke me up. I went to wake her up and she was covered in sweat and when she woke up she vomited on the floor and practically passed out."

Madame Pomfrey made her way to Alyssa pushing Draco to the side. She felt her forehead, wincing at the feeling of hot sweat.

"Ms. Bennington, can you hear me?"

She nodded slightly, breathing heavy. Then clutching at her mouth she bent over the edge of the bed and vomited again. She leaned back onto the bed, wiping her mouth. Hermione muttered another scourgify.

"What's wrong with her?" Draco asked.

"Well, she's showing symptoms of the flu. I'll treat her tonight and see if she's responsive in the morning." She walked into her office returning with some fresh clothes.

"Help me get these clothes off?" She asked Hermione who nodded willingly. Draco, being polite, walked to the other side of the room as they got rid of Alyssa's sweaty clothes and put on shorts and a t-shirt.

Once she was dressed, they tucked her under a blanket and Madame Pomfrey gave her two potions, one for the sickness, and another for a dreamless sleep.

"You two can return to your dorms. You can visit in the morning. Right now, Ms. Bennington needs her sleep."

Hermione nodded and turned to leave but stopped when she noticed Draco wasn't following. He looked hesitant, staring at Alyssa.

Hermione tugged at his sleeve and he looked at her annoyed. "Let's go. She needs rest." He looked back at Alyssa then reluctantly turned and went back with Hermione to their dorms.

When Alyssa woke up the later that morning, her stomach was killing her. She remembered everything of being sick, especially the dream she had. She couldn't make sense of it at all. It was her only dream that was this realistic since the one she had during the first week of school.

She sat up, wincing as she did, noticing the new clothes she was wearing. Looking out the window she saw it was a gray sky and it was pouring rain. Looking towards the clock it read 10:17 am.

Considering the time she realized she must've been excused from classes. Thanking the lord she threw the covers off of her.

"Ah, Ms. Bennington, you're awake."

Alyssa looked up to see Madame Pomfrey striding towards her. It looked like she had another potion for her. Madame Pomfrey noticed the questioning eye.

"It's to keep you from getting sick again. Good news is that you aren't terribly sick. You just have the flu. But the bad news is I'm advised to keep you here through the weekend."

"What! But we're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow! If I don't go tomorrow I have to wait till December!"

"I would love to send you out, but you're still not well and sending you out into this nasty weather isn't a good idea. You'll just come back here even worse."

Alyssa wanted to continue to protest, but her head started pounding heavily. She held a hand to her head and lay back in bed.

"My point exactly." She heard Madame Pomfrey say.

Alyssa sighed deeply and in a few moments fell back asleep. When she woke up again it was around 12:30. Students were now at lunch. Seeing the foot of her bed, Alyssa knew Hermione had stopped by. There were two books and a couple pages of parchment that must've been from the classes she missed.

After sorting through the work Hermione gave her, Ginny and Draco came in to visit her.

Ginny immediately gave her a hug, nearly crushing her insides. "Hermione told me what happened this morning. I'm so sorry, I hope you're feeling better."

"Thanks." Alyssa replied smiling. She looked up at Draco who was shifting uncomfortably. He was at loss for words.

She stared at him until he met her gaze in which she said sincerely, "Thank you." He gave her a small smile in return.

After chatting a bit, Draco excused himself to get to his room and get his things for Transfiguration. Once he was out of sight, Ginny turned to Alyssa smiling.

"He was worried about you, you know."

"What do you mean?"

Ginny shrugged, "He's been fidgeting all morning and seemed a bit relieved once we got here. That and for the best twenty minutes he's been bothering me to come with him to visit you."

Alyssa laughed outright at the thought that he needed someone to go and visit her. Ginny sat down at the chair next to her bed crossing her legs.

"I got some bad news, I can't go to Hogsmeade tomorrow." Alyssa said with a frown.

Ginny shrugged surprisingly, "Well if the weather is like it is tomorrow, we're not going either. Plus as you know we can go anytime we want."

"So what happened last night anyway? I was so surprised at what Hermione told me."

Alyssa shrugged. "I went to bed feeling perfectly fine. But I think it had something to do with this really weird dream last night."

Ginny leant closer in interest and Alyssa told her every single detail of her dream. Ginny, like Hermione, paused with a nervous look on her face at the mention of bright green lights.

"Do you think this means something?" Ginny asked.

"Even if it does, it was rather vague. I can't really get anything out of it."

"Well maybe you should tell Harry." She suggested.

"Hermione said the same thing. I think he'd be wiggin' out if he found out he was in it though. You think?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows briefly, "I'd be."

Ginny spent the rest of her lunchtime visiting with Alyssa, who was extremely grateful for it. When Ginny left Alyssa fell asleep once again feeling a headache coming on. Every time she was awake, Madame Pomfrey would try to slip her a potion, which was getting extremely irritating.

The rest of the weekend went horribly for Alyssa. Her second night there, she had suffered a great deal of chills and was covered with three thick blankets to warm her up a bit. She woke up in the middle of the night frozen half to death and it took two doses of sleeping draught to get her through the rest of the night.

On Saturday, most of the students ended up not going to Hogsmeade because of the weather. The trip had instead been postponed a week by Dumbledore, knowing that no one would want to wait about another two months for the next trip. Alyssa spent the day in bed finishing homework she'd missed from Friday and was under a very watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey.

She got occasional visits from Ginny, Draco, Blaise, Hermione, Harry and Ron. She was happy that she got even a little entertainment from them especially since they all brought her candy and such to brighten up her mood.

Alyssa hadn't really felt bad since the night she first arrived in the wing, but she did come down with a fever on Saturday night. Sunday was a Quidditch came with Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw winning by a landslide. The next game wouldn't be for another month.

Right after dinner on Sunday, Alyssa was given permission to leave after taking yet another potion to make sure she'd stay healthy. When she walked out she went straight to her room.

When she got there, Harry and Hermione were studying, and Ginny was sitting on Hermione's bed reading _Witch Weekly_.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Harry asked from the floor where he had parchment surrounding him.

"Totally recovered I think. I hate being cooped up like that." Alyssa replied running her hands through her hair. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a pair of shorts and a long sleeved shirt.

She walked back out into her room and after grabbing her slippers she told everyone that she was going to the kitchens to get a snack to eat. All weekend she was either not allowed to eat, or had to eat small bits of healthy food.

When she got there she asked for some coffee flavored ice cream and a hot chocolate. She sat down at a round kitchen table and her snacks appeared almost instantly. She sighed as she breathed into her mug and took a sip, the sweet taste quenching her cravings.

"Out of the hospital wing I see."

Alyssa jumped letting out a squeak and slapped a hand to her chest. She turned around to see the owner of the voice, "Draco, don't _do_ that!"

He smirked and sat down at the seat next to her. "What're you doing here?" She asked.

"Coffee." He said simply, and a hot mug of coffee appeared right in front of him. She nodded, digging into her ice cream. Her eyes fluttered with satisfaction at the taste of something with sugar.

"I see you're feeling better." He commented. She muttered a yes and devoured her ice cream in a few gulps.

She took a few sips of her hot chocolate and stretched. "I'm so glad to be out that infirmary, I hate places like that."

"Why's that?"

Alyssa took another sip of her drink, "I used to be there a lot a couple years back. My dad practiced some Dark Arts on me and I ended up being put in the hospital most of the times."

"Huh. My father does that to me too." Draco said taking a gulp of his coffee. He was surprised that she was so easy going on the topic and could just bring a something like that up. He never thought it easy to talk about, and never mentioned it.

"Crazy folks we got." Alyssa said with a sarcastic smile on her face. She took one last gulp of her drink and set the mug down, which disappeared instantly. She rubbed her eyes and looking at the clock saw that it was half past 9.

"Well I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded and said the same and as she left, gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Alyssa's first class on Monday was double Potions with the Slytherins. This of course troubled Ron and Harry but she didn't really care and headed with them to class without any complaints.

Once they got to class they sat in the back. Snape arrived and as usual, no one dared to speak. He announced that for the next month they would be brewing the Polyjuice Potion, and also read and write about its ingredients and uses. The class was put into pairs and Alyssa rolled her eyes as she was ironically paired up with Draco. They were told that they would be using the potion on each other and she laughed at the thought that she'd have Draco's body for one hour.

For the rest of the week, the students worked hard on making sure everything was perfect for the potion. They were all disappointed that it'd take a month to brew, seeing that most of the class save for Harry, Ron and Hermione had never tried it. Excitement continued to build as the party for Halloween drew nearer. Ginny had giddily confessed to Alyssa that Blaise had asked her to go which made her even more excited.

The afternoon of Halloween, most of the students skived of classes to play pranks on students and teachers. Harry and Ron included, much to the disappointment of Hermione. The party would be held, as usual, in the Prefects quarters and pretty much every 6th and 7th year was invited.

After dinner, Alyssa was done with classes for the day. She went back to her room and finished all of her homework so she wouldn't have to worry about it later. The only bad part being that it took about two hours to finish, mostly because of her essay due in Transfiguration.

By the time she was done, Hermione arrived with three huge books from the library.

"What's that for?" Alyssa asked.

Hermione dropped the books on the floor with a loud thud. "Am I honestly the _only_ one who studies around here?"

Alyssa considered this for a moment, "Y'know, I think so."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm taking a shower."

When Hermione got out from the shower, Alyssa grabbed the clothes that she'd be wearing to the party and headed in for her own shower.

It was about half way through her shower when she let out a petrified scream. Hermione had used up all the warm water and it was now ice cold. She hit off the water immediately and hopped out shivering. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her, putting her hand to her hair and feeling the conditioner still in it.

She walked back into her room finding Hermione sitting on the couch in front of the fire. She looked up at Alyssa.

"You've got to be kidding me." Alyssa said tightly.

"What?"

"You used up all the hot water!" She shouted. Hermione held her lips together into a firm line, obviously trying not to laugh. Alyssa rolled her eyes and grabbed her clothes from the bathroom, walking back out she said, "I'm going to Draco's room."

Hermione sat up straight, "_What?" _ But Alyssa continued out the room and knocked the door. When he answered she shielded her eyes.

"Jeez! What did I _tell_ you about putting some clothes on!" she couldn't see him but she could feel that smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh please, at least I'm in the comforts of my own room. You, on the other hand, are standing outside _my_ doorway soaking wet in nothing but a _towel_."

She put her arm down, "Well I guess you have a point. But anyway, moving on, I need to use your shower."

Draco stepped out of the way and she walked inside heading towards the bathroom. Once she was in she locked the door and dropped her towel to the floor, laying her clothes next to the sink. She noticed that his bathroom was a lot cleaner than hers; in her bathroom there were hair products and makeup all over the place. She had multiple arguments with Hermione on the amount of space they could take up.

When she got out, she dried off with her towel and put on the outfit she was wearing for the party; a pair of tight leather pants with a black sparkling beater. As she put on her shirt there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" She said in a singsong voice.

"Can I come in?" Draco asked. Alyssa paused for a moment, but shrugging, waved her hand at the door and it unlocked. He walked in wearing a black satin button up shirt with black pants. "What's up?" She asked as she towel dried her hair, making it curlier than usual.

He bent down at opened the cabinet under the sink. _So that's where he keeps the hair products, _she thought. She knew his hair couldn't possibly be that perfect.

"Making my hair beautiful as always." He said simply, putting a few drops of this clear looking goop into his hand. She rolled her eyes and he chuckled while running his hands through his hair a couple of times. She noticed it looked shinier and softer.

Looking at her, Draco caught Alyssa staring at him fix his hair. "Jealous of course." He said.

Her eyes flickered to his, "Your hair is better than mine." She said quietly. He shrugged washing off his hands then using her towel to dry them off.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

She nodded, grabbing her towel. "Yea, but now I have to fix _my_ hair." She said rolling her eyes. He smirked again, and they both headed back to her room.

Draco took a seat at the couch, the complete opposite end from where Hermione was sitting. Hermione scowled at him and narrowed her eyes back down to her book. Alyssa went into the bathroom and grabbed her gel, running it through her hair and ruffling it up a bit to make it curly. She washed off her hands, and then put on her makeup. Just as she was finishing up, she could hear raised voices from her room not exactly making out the words.

She walked back out to her room and saw Draco and Hermione both standing, glaring at each other, both red in the face.

"You can't tell me to get out!" Hermione was shouting. "This is MY room! YOU get out!"

"Well you can't tell me to get out either! I'm not here because of you!"

"Well this is MY bloody room and you'll do as I say!"

"HA! Like I'd ever listen to YOU!"

"Get out before I PUT you out!" Hermione shouted.

"I'd like to see you try, Granger." He said leaning back and smirking a bit. Hermione took this as a challenge and raised her wand.

"Okay!" Alyssa said shouting from the bathroom door. "Enough, the both of you!"

Draco and Hermione both stopped and turned to look at her, breathing a bit heavy. "Remind me to never _ever_ put you two in a room together. I'm gone for nearly FIVE minutes!"

"He started it." Hermione said rather childishly. Alyssa rolled her eyes and walked over to Draco, grabbing his arm.

"Let's go shall we?" He nodded sending one last glare at Hermione and they both left, leaving to go to the prefects' quarters for the party. Once they arrived, the room was already packed with people. Alyssa could even see Harry and Ron across the room enjoying themselves.

Alyssa soon met Ginny who was sitting on a table in the middle of the room. She was chatting with her roommates and having a drink. "Alyssa!" she shouted when she caught sight of her. She hopped off the table greeting Alyssa with a hug.

"Hey, nice outfit." Alyssa commented. Ginny was wearing black tank top with a green skirt and fishnets.

"Eh, just threw random stuff on really. Want a drink?" Alyssa nodded and Ginny reached back to the table handing her a cup of firewhiskey.

About two hours later, Alyssa found herself leaning against a wall, the wind knocked out of her, and rubbing her eye furiously. Someone had set these popper things to explode candy whenever someone stepped on them and she got hit right in the face when someone walked right in front of her.

"You alright there?" Harry asked, suddenly appearing right in front of her.

Alyssa giggled. "Yes, just got hit by one of those candy thingy's." She looked at him setting her hand down and giggled even more.

"What?" He asked.

"What'd you do to your glasses?" she said pointing at them. The left eye had a crack in it and she wondered how he hadn't noticed it.

"Hm, that's new." He said taking them off and repairing them with his wand. He leaned against the wall next to her, taking a gulp of his drink.

"I'm glad to see you're out and about, Harry."

He stumbled a bit, leaning his back completely against the wall. "Yes, but under the very watchful eye of Hermione. This is my day off."

"Good to hear," She said punching him softly in the shoulder. Looking across the room she saw Draco chatting up with some girl who looked as if she was having the time of her life. A pang of jealousy spread through Alyssa although she really couldn't see why. It wasn't like they were kissing or anything. But then again, Draco looked to be enjoying himself as well, and Alyssa couldn't tell if he really was or if it was just because he was drunk.

Suddenly, she felt a hand grip her thigh. She looked down at the hand, then up the arm to Harry's face. He had a stolid look on his face and seemed to be sliding down the wall a bit.

"Harry, are you _drunk_?"

He looked over at her smiling a bit. "Yes quite a bit actually."

Alyssa rolled her eyes, slapped his hand and put down her drink. "I'm taking you back to your room."

"But why?" He said protesting.

She grabbed her arm and pulled him up to a standing position. "Because if Hermione finds out I let you stay here and get trashed, she'll throttle me in my sleep."

"You've got a point." He said. He let her grab his hand and walk him out of the room, her eyes briefly meeting Draco's before she continued out.

She walked Harry to the Gryffindor tower in which she conversed with him in the weirdest way possible. Him poking out comments like, "I like your pants, they're very smooth." or fiddling with her hair saying, "Is your hair usually this curly?"

Alyssa was quite entertained, she loved watching people who were drunk, they were very funny. They finally got to the tower and she led him to his room where he flopped unceremoniously onto his bed. She said goodnight and kissed his cheek and before she even left the room, she could hear him snoring.

It took about a half hour to leave and get back to the party. It seemed to quiet down a bit, there were separate groups of people chatting around the room and every now and then you'd hear a scream, laughter, or curse as drinks spilled.

Alyssa went outside for a quick smoke and when she came back; saw Ginny and Blaise waving her over from the other side of the room. She walked over grabbing another drink.

"What's up?" She said taking a sip.

"We're going outside by the lake a bit, want to come?" Ginny asked.

"Yes because I absolutely love being the third wheel." Alyssa replied sarcastically.

Blaise waved his hand in her face, "Nothing to worry about, mate."

Alyssa scrunched up her nose at being called 'mate'. "As if I'd enjoy watching you two _snogging_." Putting emphasis on the British slang.

"Alright," Ginny said laughing. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" Alyssa nodded and Ginny and Blaise left together.

Alyssa leaned back against the wall sighing. She took another gulp of her drink and noticed over the rim of her cup that Draco was staring rather deviously at her. She tried not to fumble under his stare and continued drinking her from her cup until he started walking towards her.

She put the cup down from her mouth and stared at him walking towards her wondering what exactly she should do. She started to fumble, shuffling on her feet and made a last minute decision to move to the left, but alas he stopped her. Grabbing her arm, pushing her softly against the wall, and kissing her.

Alyssa was shocked. This was the last thing she expected, Draco Malfoy kissing her. She kind of didn't respond for a few seconds, stuck in shock as he had his lips pressed hard against hers. But once she regained herself, she dropped her drink. It fell to the floor and the remains spilled out. She used that hand to run up his chest and around his neck. She licked at his bottom lip, making him growl and push her harder against the wall, one arm tightly around her waist and the other gripping her upper arm.

He opened his mouth against hers, and their tongues brushed against the others. Alyssa moaned slightly with the satisfaction of finally kissing him. Her arm was wound around his waist and after a few more moments, they broke apart, both breathing heavily.

Alyssa adored the look on his face, his lips parted and still breathing heavy, leaning so close against her, face a bit flushed. He gave her a soft peck again, rubbing his hand along her bare arm. He smiled at the dazed look on her face.

"Ready to go?" He asked softly.

She nodded and they left to go back to their rooms. Although much to her disappointment, they went to their _respective_ rooms. He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before bidding goodnight and she walked slowly, still in a daze, into her room. Laying in her bed and sighing softly, she put a finger to her lips.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

Alyssa woke up the next day, surprisingly, around 10. This was the first time she woke up in time for breakfast when there were no classes to get up for. She was still wearing her clothes from last night, her covers had fallen to the floor and she was holding her pillow to her chest. Thankfully, her leather pants had gotten comfortably loose over the night from moving around so much.

Stretching, she sat up in bed and looked around the room. Hermione was seated at her desk reading the _Daily Prophet_, already dressed in her school uniform. Alyssa scratched her head, feeling how her hair had flattened a little overnight.

She felt oddly stiff. Her legs were sore, and as she got up her back cracked almost painfully.

"Up so soon?" Hermione asked, her eyes not leaving the paper.

"Surprising myself even." Alyssa replied wincing as her back cracked some more. She suddenly had to go to the bathroom and nearly ran to it to pee. She flushed then brushed her teeth, looking into the mirror and wiping off the smudged makeup from last night. She stared into the mirror, looking into her own violet eyes and running her fingers through her hair.

"Not too bad, darling." The mirror rang. Alyssa rolled her eyes.

She went back to her room and threw on a three quarter sleeved shirt over her beater and headed out the door. She went straight to the Great Hall to satisfy her now growling stomach and sat next to Harry and Ron who were already there shoving their mouths with food.

"Rough night?" She said to Harry. He looked paler than usual and seemed to be zoning out every few seconds.

"If I could remember most of it, I'd know." He said rather matter-of-factly. Alyssa laughed and put some eggs and toast on her plate.

"So what's our first class today?" she asked.

Ron slouched in his seat, "History of Magic. It gets worse and worse every class." He said sullenly.

Alyssa sipped her orange juice, "Well it's good napping time."

Harry looked hopeful, "She's got a point, mate."

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked.

Alyssa shrugged, "I haven't seen her since last night. Probably sleeping."

"I saw her with that Zabini, I swear, if he lays one finger on her I'll kill him." Ron said threateningly holding up his fork.

Harry and Alyssa exchanged a look. "What?" Ron asked. "Those Slytherins are never up to any good. And that's just what I need, their fondling with my baby sister."

"Yea because Ginny's a poor defenseless child and all." Alyssa said sarcastically.

Ron smiled at her, "Exactly." Alyssa looked at him for a moment, before looking up to the ceiling as owls flew in. She could see her owl, Moony, flying in the distance and wondered what he was up to. He landed gracefully on her shoulder carrying a white envelope.

"Oh, you look just like Hedwig." Harry said in a baby voice rubbing on Moony's head. Alyssa looked at him with her eyebrow raised. He turned back to his food muttering something like "weakness."

She rolled her eyes and opened the envelope. Not surprisingly, she saw a little not scribbled on the parchment from her brother Brad.

_Hey Alyssa, Sorry I haven't written you since I've seen you this summer. It's been real busy over here with Dragons as I'm sure you can understand. So how's Hogwarts been? I'm sure its great; I hear great things about it. Well I'm writing now because I've realized its only three weeks till your birthday. I've already bought your present, I was shopping earlier this week and found something I knew you'd love. Well, I must be going. Just thought I'd say hey, hope all is well._

_Love, Brad_

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Alyssa folded the parchment back up and put it in her back pocket. "Just an early happy birthday from my brother." She gave Moony a bit of toast and he flew off.

"It's your birthday soon?"

"Yeah, the 21st." She gulped down the rest of her juice and stood up. "I'm going to shower before classes. I'll see you later."

As she made her way out of the Great Hall, her eyes met with a certain blonde Slytherin and she couldn't tear her eyes away until she was out of the doors, and walked straight into someone, falling to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Ginny!" Alyssa said looking up. Ginny was sitting across from her. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Ginny rolled her eyes and laughed, "Good morning to you too."

"So how was your night last night?" Alyssa said smiling. Neither of them bothered getting up off the floor. "You leaving with Blaise and all."

Ginny shrugged, "We didn't _do_ anything if that's what you're thinking. He was quite the gentleman, actually."

Alyssa raised her brow as if that wasn't possible. "What about you and Draco, huh?" Ginny asked, changing the subject.

She smiled and rolled her boot around on her foot. "We kissed… and I mean _real_ kiss, the whole deal." She added rolling her eyes at his past tendencies.

Ginny slapped Alyssa on the leg laughing, "You prat. How was it?"

Alyssa's smile widened even further. "Perfect."

"And what are two ladies, such as yourselves, doing sitting on the floor in the middle of the doorway?" A voice drawled.

Alyssa and Ginny looked up at Snape, as he looked down his large nose at them.

"Sorry sir, we fell is all." Alyssa said. They both stood up at once. He glared at them then stalked into the Great Hall.

"Well I'm getting some breakfast." Ginny said.

"Yeah I was just about to take a shower."

They bid goodbye and headed in separate directions. Alyssa went straight to her room. She wrote a quick thank you to Brad and then got in the shower. After getting out, she pulled her dripping hair into a ponytail and put on her uniform. She still had about 2 hours until her first class and she had no idea what to do.

Going back into her room, Alyssa grabbed her note to Brad and headed to the owlery to find Moony. When she found her, she was perched on a windowsill cleaning her feathers.

"Moony," Alyssa summoned cheerfully. The owl turned immediately recognizing her voice and flew to her, landing on her shoulder.

"Send this to Brad please. I know it's a long flight, so take rests if you need." The owl nipped Alyssa's ear and she gave her an owl treat. Moony, seeming satisfied, took off at once, soaring gracefully out the window.

Alyssa watched her owl fly out of sight, sighing to herself trying to think of something else to do now. She squatted on the floor and rummaged through her bag to find anything she hadn't finished. She found an unfinished Potions essay in her bag that was due the next day and decided to go to the library and finish it.

On her way there, Alyssa bumped into a few people. Hermione was walking down the hall slowly with a book opened in her hands. She was reading it and looked like she was mumbling to herself. Then she ran into Ginny and Blaise who were eating Halloween candy and going out for a smoke, they invited her but for once Alyssa declined.

Once she got in the library, she walked past a few tables that were taken by students who were studying. She saw one across the room with Draco sitting in it, his head in a book and scribbling notes. She paused for a moment wondering if she should sit there, she'd probably start fidgeting because of the kiss they had last night.

But then she stopped walking and mentally slapped herself in the face. When did she get so worked up over boys?

Rolling her eyes, Alyssa made her way to the table Draco was sitting at. He looked up at the feeling of her presence. "Mind if I sit?" She asked. He shook his head and she dropped her books on the table.

She slouched in her chair and sighed. She seemed so tired all of a sudden.

Draco wrote down a few more notes then looked up at her again. "What're you doing?" He asked.

Still staring at the ceiling, she answered "Studying."

He chuckled softly and she could hear his quill start scratching on the parchment again. Sighing again, Alyssa sat up and pulled her potions book and parchment out. Rereading what she already wrote, she took off where she last ended.

It was about an hour later when Alyssa finally finished her essay. She was starting to greatly detest Snape and his lousy assignments. Draco sat with her the hole time surprisingly. He'd get up every now and then to go find another book. Sometimes they'd chat a little bit, but mostly sat in silence.

Alyssa cracked her knuckles and scrunched her nose up at the loud sound they made.

"Well that was awful." She announced. Draco had just sat down from putting back his last book.

"Finished?" He asked, putting his quill back into his bag. She nodded shoving her own things into her bag.

They stood up together and headed out of the library. "I think I'll head to my class now. By the time I get there I'll only be a few minutes early." He nodded and they continued to walk down the hall together.

Once they reached a certain corridor, Alyssa stopped. She knew he had Transfiguration now so he was going in the opposite direction. Adjusting the strap of her bag and looking down the hall she said, "Well, see you later. I go this way."

Draco turned to her and raised his hand to her chin, turning her head to face him. _He's got to stop doing this_, she thought briefly before he pressed his lips to hers. His hand moved from her face to the back of her neck, forcing her to stay still. It was like an electric shock passing through her entire body. She clenched the hem of his robes tightly as he nipped her lip, opening his mouth against hers. There tongues brushed against each other's slightly before a voice interrupted them.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise, watching you two sucking face."

Alyssa and Draco broke apart, still staying close for a moment and she noticed him close his eyes tightly before turning his head to look at Blaise.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Zabini." He said sarcastically.

Blaise stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Looking for you actually, so we can get to class."

Draco looked back to Alyssa, she took a step back from him smiling, "I'll see you later." She said.

He said goodbye, running a hand through his hair and the two boys walked down the opposite corridor. Alyssa adjusted her bag on her shoulder once again, sighing. Turning down the corridor walking to History of Magic rather slowly thinking, _he's never doing that before class again._

When she arrived to class, a few students were gathered around the door chatting up there last bit of time before class started. Alyssa found Harry, Ron and Hermione standing just to the left of the door and they waved her over.

"Where've you been?" Harry asked.

She sighed pulling her bag up farther on her shoulder. "Just finished that crap essay for Potions."

Ron paled at the mention of an essay, "We have a potions essay?"

"Glad to know I'm making a dent in your studying, Ronald." Hermione said sarcastically, standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

Harry patted Ron sympathetically on the shoulder, "Don't worry mate, I haven't done it either."

Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes. She noticed a few students walking into class then looked at her watch.

"C'mon, class is starting." Everyone followed her inside, Alyssa, Harry and Ron taking seats near the back of the room so they could nap freely, while Hermione made her way up to the front.

"Today class," Mr. Binns droned softly, coming in through the sidewall of the classroom, "We will begin chapter seven. Please take out your books and follow along."

Alyssa sighed and took out her book opening up to chapter seven. She tried to follow along as the teacher mentioned their NEWTS a couple of times, but the silence of the students and the droning sound of Mr. Binns' voice seemed to make her eyelids droop every so slowly. Soon, her head fell softly on the opened pages of her book, sound asleep.

Harry looked down at Alyssa's sleeping form and chuckled to himself. He leaned back stretching his arms out, then slouching in his chair he let his eyes droop closed as well.

A few minutes before class ended, Ron had to nudge both Alyssa and Harry awake. They sat up with a start looking around the room to see if anyone had noticed. But the class was undisturbed.

Hermione was sitting up front, listening intently to Mr. Binns and was furiously scribbling down notes. Alyssa yawned, her hand over her mouth and looked at Harry next to her who was running his hands through his hair. She laughed quietly at his dazed expression. He stretched his arms and legs and slammed his book shut as the teacher announced they could leave, mentioning a reading assignment for the next class.

Alyssa and Harry stood up slowly, both rubbing the tiredness out of their faces. They pulled their bags to their shoulder and walked out the door with Ron.

"Have a nice nap?" Ron asked smiling.

Harry yawned again nodding, "Splendid." They stopped outside the door waiting for Hermione and once she got there they headed to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Well that lesson was so enticing, don't you think?" Hermione asked cheerfully.

"Huh. You may have to refresh my memory." Alyssa said sitting down at the table next to her.

Hermione furrowed her brows, "Please don't tell me you slept through the hole thing."

Harry laughed, "The both of us actually."

"Harry! You too? After all the studying we've been doing!"

Ron piled some food onto his plate shaking his head. "Oh 'Mione, give it a rest."

Hermione frowned and slouched in her seat, also grabbing some food. Alyssa wasn't to hungry so she had some toast, a muffin and juice.

Ginny walked into the great hall, practically skipping it seemed with a bright smile on her face. She sat down on the other side of Alyssa and grabbed some toast off her plate.

"Beautiful day isn't it?" She asked brightly.

Alyssa gave her a quizzical look, "What've you been up to?"

Ginny shrugged, still smiling. "Oh nothing." But then she gave a rather significant glance to the Slytherin table, Alyssa following her look saw Blaise just sitting down next to Draco, rather red in the face.

"You didn't!" Alyssa snapped in a light tone.

Ginny narrowed her eyes, "Now what could you possibly be thinking, Alyssa."

"You kissed." Alyssa said, "And you both _fondled_ didn't you?" she added, trying to look disgusted at her.

Ginny laughed taking a sip of her drink. "Oh please, like I'm the only one doing any fondling."

Alyssa looked confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh c'mon," Ginny said narrowing her eyes again, "Blaise told me he found you and Malfoy snogging earlier."

She blushed and took a glance down at the Slytherin table as well. "Yes well, he has wicked ways I must say."

"Wicked ways that involve his mouth?" Ginny said rather loudly. Ron and Harry looked up from across the table and Alyssa slapped her on the arm.

The boys looked at her quizzically but then continued on with their food. Alyssa turned back to Ginny glaring.

"Was that necessary?" She asked.

Ginny shook her head, "But you know I'm right. And I'm sure Malfoy wants to shag the wits right out of you." She said buttering her toast.

"Ginny!" Alyssa shouted again, but Ginny shrugged acting like she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

An hour and a half later, Alyssa walked out of her Transfiguration class, dragging her bag on the floor behind her. Hermione followed, looking paler than usual.

"That was awful." Alyssa droned.

Hermione ran a hand down her face nodding in agreement. The test they just took in Transfiguration was absolute murder.

"McGonagall really knows how to test us, doesn't she?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer.

"I need a cigarette." Alyssa announced, Hermione for once understood.

Alyssa walked outside near the lake and rummaged through her bag for a cigarette. Pulling one out she took her first drag rather satisfyingly. When she finished, she flicked it to the ground and in a blink of an eye it vanished. She seemed to be doing a lot more of this wandless magic stuff, sometimes she didn't even mean to.

She headed back inside wondering how slow the rest of the week would go.

Alyssa birthday crept up slowly, it was now a week before it and she was getting agitated for the wait. Her relationship with Draco, well, not really knowing what to call it, was getting better. She never went through a day without kissing him, which she enjoyed immensely. They even started to _fondle_ as Ginny so wisely put it. They had seemed to have grown really close and weren't the only ones who noticed.

Most of the school had noticed and loved to gossip about it. But of course exaggerated it saying things like how Draco got her pregnant the night of Halloween but Pansy, in a raged jealousy, shoved her down a flight of stairs so Alyssa lost the baby.

Alyssa thought that was the funniest of the rumors. Not only because she wasn't pregnant and hadn't even had sex with Draco (yet), but because Pansy was incredibly pathetic and could never hurt Alyssa even if she tried her hardest.

But Ginny disagreed entirely saying that the funniest one was where Draco proposed to Alyssa and once again, in a raged jealousy, Pansy had hired a wizard to kill her and make it look like an accident. Alyssa had nodded her head but didn't think it was funny because that was an actual thing Pansy would do, hire someone _else_ to do the dirty work.

Wednesday night found Alyssa in Ginny's dorm with her other roommates Kim, Blaire and Audrey. They decided to have a little girl's night eating chocolate covered strawberries and gossiping about boys, which of course, for Alyssa, meant mostly talking about Draco. Or for Ginny, talking about Blaise.

"That's so surprising," Audrey commented on Ginny and Blaise's relationship. "Ron hasn't tried to kill him yet?"

Ginny laughed but shook her head. "He doesn't really know about it, he's only heard rumors."

Alyssa droned them out a bit as she ate her chocolate strawberries, her favorite snack. At the mention of Harry's name, Alyssa looked back up again. It was Kim who asked Audrey what was going on between them.

Audrey paused and Alyssa added, "Yeah I saw you to flirting at that party thing a couple weeks ago."

Audrey blushed, "Well… we've talked a bunch of times. I kind of like him, I don't know though."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Been there, done that." Referring to her old crush on Harry.

"Well, what should I do about it?" Audrey continued. She looked at Alyssa, "What do you think?"

Alyssa looked confused, pausing, as she was about to take another bite of her strawberry. "How should I know?" she asked rather matter-of-factly.

"Well you seem rather good with guys. Draco is quite the catch and he's pretty hard to get to."

Alyssa laughed, "Really? He doesn't seem that way."

Everyone stared at her, including Ginny. "What?"

"Not hard to get to? You've got to be kidding me." Ginny said.

"Well where have I been then?" Alyssa asked. Ginny just rolled her eyes in turn. Audrey hopped off the edge of her bed and reached over for some strawberries, which Alyssa had been hogging.

"Oh please, Draco is heard for being the notorious player of Hogwarts, conquering innocent girls left and right."

Alyssa paused then burst out laughing. Everyone stared at her confused. "Sorry…" She said calming herself down, "But that's a bit exaggerated don't you think? Not that I say he's not experienced or anything. I mean, trust me, he's experienced." She added continuing to laugh to herself not notice the pairs of eyes fixed on her.

Ginny looked affronted. "You didn't tell me you guys were fooling around?"

Alyssa looked up, "You already assumed it so I thought you knew. And its not like we've done much anyway. ("Except snog every 5 seconds" Ginny cut in) Every time we touch, it's like an electric shock or something."

Ginny furrowed her brows, not really knowing what she meant.

"Well then what _have_ you done?" she asked.

Alyssa flopped her hand around as if brushing them off, "Oh enough with this conversation. Let's move on 'cause I doubt I'm the only one who has secrets." She took another chunk out of her strawberry then shoved them away claiming they were too addicting.

They moved to interrogating Ginny and when she tried to decline Alyssa said, "See? It's not fun being questioned." Ginny glared daggers at her.

"I'm getting some ice cream." Alyssa announced. She stood up brushing off her shorts and stepped over everyone's pillows and out of Gryffindor tower. Once she got to the kitchens, the elves immediately set her a bowl of vanilla ice cream. She sat down near the blazing fireplace and ate her ice cream in silence. When she finished, her bowl vanished instantly and she decided to head back to the tower.

She was walking in the through the dark halls, only lit by the moon. She could barely see where she was going and as she turned a corner she walked straight into a hard body and let out a quiet 'oof'. She took a step back blinded by the darkness and heard someone mutter "_Lumos"._

"Jeez, put that light out," Alyssa snapped with her hand covering her eyes, the light lowered and she looked to the person standing in front of her, "Oh, it's you." She said smiling.

"Yes, it's me." Draco drawled. "What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" she asked placing her hands on her hips.

He rolled his eyes, "Patrolling." He stated simply.

"Of course." She replied, his Head Boy duties. She eyed him up and down and realized he was wearing pajama pants and a gray long sleeved shirt.

"Well I was just getting some ice cream."

"I could dock points for this y'know." He said threateningly. "You're out past curfew."

Her hands dropped to her sides, "You wouldn't."

She could see him smirk, though she could barely see his face. "Eh, you never know."

He lowered his wand to his side and stepped closer to Alyssa, giving her a soft kiss on the mouth, "If I really wanted to." He said softly.

Alyssa stepped forward too, placing her hands on his chest. "But you don't really want to." She said, kissing him back. Draco rested his forehead on hers, sighing deeply, before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her hard. Her hands wrapped around his neck, one finding itself tangling in his hair, which became her new favorite hobby. He had the best hair ever.

Her breath hitched as he nipped at her bottom lip and walked her backwards against the wall behind her. Her hand ran down his arm, feeling his muscle flexing as he held her tightly. She was suddenly lifted from the floor, her toes grazing the floor as his knee bent right between her legs, hoisting her up.

Their mouths opened against each other's, their tongues brushing the others. Alyssa moaned softly against his lips as he pressed his hips into hers, feeling the affect she had on him against her thigh. His hands moved from her waist, one holding her face right underneath her ear, the other gripping her hip and moving past her shorts. Once he touched her bare skin, she gasped loudly, feeling as if he had burned her.

He must've felt it to, for he had the same reaction. His breathing became rapid as his hand ran back up her thigh, finding its way underneath the hip of her shorts. She dug her hands into his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, letting out a deep sigh as Draco's hand found its way between her legs.

It was about a half hour after she left, when Alyssa finally returned to Ginny's dorm. They all looked up at her as she came in quietly, face flushed and breathing sort of ragged.

"Where've you been?" Ginny asked.

"Um… I met someone on the way back and we… chatted." She smiled at the look Ginny gave her and sat back down next to her, immediately reaching for the strawberries.

It was finally November 21st, Alyssa's seventeenth birthday. She woke up with a smile on her face and saw that the bottom of her bed was weighted with gifts. Without bothering to get out of bed she sat up sitting on her legs and reached for the first present.

The first one was from her brother Brad. She was excited to see what he got her because he always spoiled her. The first thing she opened was his letter;

_Dear Alyssa,_

_Happy Birthday runt! You are now seventeen and officially an adult. I'm sorry I can't make it to visit you, I tried to see if I could but there's a new wrap of Dragons coming in so we need all the help we can get. Remus said he was going to try and stop by which will probably be easier for him and mom's back in the states so I don't know what's up with her._

_Well I hope you enjoy your gift, I know you will actually. I'm the best at this stuff. I love you lots and I hope to see you soon! Happy birthday!_

_Lots of Love, Brad_

She continued on with the small box attached to the letter, ripping off the wrapping and opening up the box she gasped in awe. Her brother gave her a silver ring with a diamond cut emerald. She plucked it out of the box gently, placing it on her left ring finger. It fit perfectly. She was definitely going to give a _huge_ thanking to Brad for this.

Alyssa reached to the next gift, which was a bouquet of red roses, her favorite flower. Reaching for the small card attached, her eyebrows flew up near her hairline as she saw that they were from her ex boyfriend, Jason.

_Hey Alyssa,_

_I know it's been forever since we last spoke, but I remembered that it was your 17th birthday today and decided to send you a present. I hope all is well at your new school, and I bet as usual the boys are all over you. Hope you still remember me, since it's been, what? About two years since I've seen you? Well anyway, Happy Birthday!_

_Love, Jason_

She opened her last real present, seeing that the others were loads of candy from Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron. This one was in a large rectangular box, seeing a quick note saying it was from her mom. She was never one for letters.

Alyssa lifted the lid and lifted the tissue paper, revealing a deep red cloak. She gasped as she touched it; it was as soft as velvet yet seemed to be a sturdier material to withstand things such as bad weather. She hopped out of bed and pulled the cloak out of its box.

Draping it over her shoulders, and poking her arms through the sleeves, she shrugged at the comfortably weight it put onto her shoulders. It fell to just above her knees and the sleeves a little bit past her fingertips. The lining was a thick, soft layer of black fur and made her shudder as she ran her hands down it. She lifted up the hood and if she pulled it all the way down it would nearly reach her nose, which she loved about hoods.

Alyssa took the cloak off and folded it carefully, placing it back in its box. As she sat back down on her bed, sifting through candy, Hermione came walking gracefully through the door.

Looking at Alyssa she smiled brightly, "Happy Birthday!" She shouted. She gave Alyssa a hug and pulled a thick book out of her bag.

"I thought this present would be most appropriate, seeing as you're new hear." Hermione handed Alyssa the book she was holding, and she observed the worn out cover.

Hogwarts: A History 

"This is my old book, but I've read it loads of time so I decided to pass it onto you." She said placing a hand on Alyssa's shoulder. Alyssa smiled and said, "You don't have to do that!"

Hermione flopped her hand in front of her face, "Oh please, I don't need it anymore and I'll get a new one soon enough."

Alyssa put down the book and hugged Hermione, "Thank you."

"No problem. Now let's go to breakfast, classes start in an hour." Alyssa hopped off her bed and ran to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. She grabbed her bag and headed with Hermione down to the Great Hall.

Once she arrived there, she was greeted with tight hugs from Harry and Ginny, taking her completely out of breath.

"Jeez guys, a little gentler!" She snapped in a strained voice.

Ginny backed off, "Sorry, I always get excited for birthdays. And now you're an official adult! I'm jealous…" She said glaring, yet with a smile on her face.

Ron turned to Alyssa as they all sat down, "So what'd you get?"

Alyssa piled some food onto her plate and started listing the things she got. Ginny looked across the hall at the Slytherin table and found Draco staring at Alyssa while Blaise said something in his ear. Ginny elbowed Alyssa as she spoke, interrupting whatever conversation she was having with Ron.

"What?" She asked.

"Blaise tells me that Draco has a little dinner planned for you tonight, which Blaise proposes will end with a nice thorough shagging."

Alyssa laughed, "Oh really?" Ginny nodded, laughing as well. "It's _supposed_ to be a surprise though so… I didn't say anything." She added.

Alyssa nodded, "Alright, my lips are sealed."

Ginny looked at her, brows furrowed, "What?"

Alyssa laughed and continued eating her breakfast. She was now actually looking forward to Potions. Their Polyjuice potion was finally done, and they would be testing it in today's class. It would be an interesting class indeed, for some odd reason; Snape had paired almost the entire class with the opposite sex. Harry got lucky and was paired with Blaise, and Hermione was paired with Lavender Brown.

Ron on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He was paired up with Pansy Parkinson; he got sympathies from the entire Gryffindor house.

Alyssa and Ginny left the Great Hall together once they finished their breakfast. Once they reached the doors, Draco had also made for the exit, meeting them right in the doorway.

"Well, good morning Malfoy!" Ginny said a little too cheerfully with a bright smile on her face. Draco looked at her; eyebrow raised but returned the greeting.

He looked at Alyssa smiling and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, kissing her on the forehead.

"Happy Birthday." He said.

"Thank you." She replied looking up at him shyly.

Ginny rolled her eyes at this display of affection, then sighed throwing her hands up in the air.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it then." She said starting off down the hall, "Charms to get to…"

Once she left, Draco turned back to Alyssa and kissed her firmly on the lips. "I'm taking you out to dinner later tonight, Blaise and Ginny are coming to, my treat of course. And wear something _very_ pretty." He said smugly.

Alyssa smiled, "You didn't have to." She gushed.

"Of course I did, you being my girlfriend and all."

She looked up at him, "Ooh, I'm your girlfriend?"

"Nah, just thought I'd let you tag along with me for a bit." She laughed and he kissed her again, running his fingers through her hair, leaving her breathless as usual.

"C'mon." He said, "Let's get to class."

They sat next to each other in Potions, as did the rest of the class and whomever they were switching into. Snape came out of his office and returned everyone's flasks of their Polyjuice potion. Once everyone had their own, he announced, "Pluck out the hairs."

People either laughed or groaned in protest. Draco was one of the many protests, not wanting to pluck out a strand of his perfect hair. He did so grudgingly and dropped it into his flask, mixing it up. Alyssa did the same and they switched flasks.

Pansy spoke up in a whiny voice, "What if he tries to look at my… unmentionables?" There was a murmur throughout the class including a couple of snorts. Snape closed his eyes, wincing, and then answered her.

"I doubt Mr. Weasley will try anything of the sort. Otherwise, please keep your comments to yourself."

She pouted, unattractively, and slouched in her seat.

"Now only a few gulps of the potion is necessary, your stomach may hurt a little but please try to refrain from getting sick in my classroom."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and looked into her flask of this clumpy greenish substance. She sniffed at it and frowned. She looked around at the rest of the class who seemed to reluctantly take small sips of it.

"Well… here goes nothing." She said glancing a look to Draco who was raising the flask to his lips. She downed as much as she could, wincing at the taste of the liquid. It was about two gulps when she slammed the flask down, holding her stomach.

She looked around the class again; Pansy's hair was turning Ron's red orange color. Harry became paler, and Hermione's long brown hair became short and black. Alyssa looked down at her hands, their tan color becoming pale. Her long black hair shortening and turning from deep red, to light brown, to blonde… to an even whiter blonde.

Her clothes became extremely tight and she was growing higher from the seat of her chair. She took a sideways glance at Draco, and laughed now looking at herself in very loose clothing. Laughing, she also realized that although she had his body, her voice was still there.

"Now, the effects last an hour," Snape announced, there were some more groaning protests, "But there's only 40 minutes left of class. Once you leave this classroom, I'd suggest you stay together as you'll eventually turn back." He walked around the classroom, observing the changes made. He smirked at the results.

"I see you all have been successful. Full marks have been received by all of you."

The groans turned into a slight cheer and even Harry and Ron, (now Blaise and Pansy) turned around to high five each other.

"Well this is odd," Draco announced. Alyssa laughed again seeing her feminine body speaking with a smooth, deep voice. She stood up from her chair and realized that she was a lot farther up from the floor. She walked back and forth a bit, as did other students, and was trying to get used to the feeling of these long legs.

"Oh stop walking like that!" Draco said. "You're making my hips sway all… _girly_."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Well how am I supposed to walk then? And hey, that means in my body you have to walk with a girly sway."

Draco rolled his eyes. It was funny for Alyssa to observe herself… with Draco in her body… or whatever. Her body now drawled like Draco, sat like Draco, and was sarcastic most of the time just like Draco.

"I'll walk how I want." He said rather stubbornly.

"Should I try and talk like you?" She asked perching, still girly, on the edge of her desk. "_Like this_?" she made her voice deeper and tried out a British accent. "I don't know man, it doesn't flow right."

"You're having way to much fun with my body." Draco said standing up as well; he raised an eyebrow as he had to crank his neck up to look at Alyssa. "This is very odd indeed."

"It's fun! I think I'll go ask Snape to go to the bathroom actually…"

Draco glared at her, "I'm kidding! Jeez."

Once class ended, everyone filed out in their pairs. They wanted to stay together and make sure the other wasn't attempting any wrongdoing.

Alyssa was pulling at her clothes, being in Draco's body made her outfit suffocating. "I can't even breath! Why do you have to be so big?"

"Well why do you wear such tight clothes?" Draco replied trying to tuck his much too big shirt into his pants that drooped down to above his knees. "Actually… scratch that." He adjusted the belt on his pants as tight as he could. He moved his hands around his now curvy body, pausing to grip at his now present chest.

"Hey! No touching!" Alyssa threatened.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well soon enough we'll be back to normal."

Alyssa stopped walking and turned to Draco, looking down at him, which was extremely weird.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Alyssa bent down a bit, "Seeing if it's as fun kissing me as it is kissing you." And she firmly pressed her lips on… well, her own.

Draco pulled back in a matter of seconds, "No it's not!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Hey… your hair is turning blonde." Slowly but surely, they returned into their normal selves. Draco was comfortably in his clothes but Alyssa's clothes had ripped at the seams.

"Well thanks a lot!" She said stomping her foot.

----------

Later that night Alyssa pulled clothes out of her closet, looking for what to wear. She had never thought to bring things to wear on a special occasion. She sat on the edge of her bed with a finger to her chin to think. Suddenly a light bulb went off in her head, as she remembered the _one_ dress she had packed. She walked over to her trunk, still hadn't unpacked everything, and dug around, finally recovering holding a black silk dress.

It wasn't too dressy, but just enough. There were different layers of silk so it flowed unevenly to just above her knees. It was tighter around the upper body with somewhat thick straps, and a nice dip in the front. Alyssa changed out of her uniform and slid the dress on over her arms. It still fit perfectly. She twirled around in it, watching the skirt billow around her. She grabbed the black heels that matched and slipped them on.

Walking towards the bathroom, she heard her bedroom door open. Turning she saw Ginny gaping at her.

"You look wonderful." She beamed.

"You don't look so bad either," Alyssa said looking her up and down. Ginny was wearing a deep green skirt with a flurry white long sleeved button up shirt. "Hold on, let me fix my hair." She continued walking into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair making it its normal wavy. She put on a little bit of makeup and her ring from Brad caught her eye. Smiling at her reflection she smoothed down her dress.

"Absolutely beautiful." The mirror voiced.

Alyssa smiled and walked back into her room where Ginny was waiting. Alyssa grabbed her brand new cloak to wear seeing as it was for an occasion. Once they met up with the boys, Draco's jaw had nearly dropped when he saw her. It took a nudge from Blaise for him to recover. Draco took everyone to Hogsmeade where they were going to eat dinner at the fanciest restaurant he knew. They of course ate delicious food and were even given champagne, as it was a 'special occasion'.

Alyssa had a great time, recalling that her last good birthday was two years ago, which she had spent with her brother and all of her friends in America. They were probably the loudest group in the restaurant even though there were only four of them, but no one said anything seeing that they were in the presence of a Malfoy. It was fun watching Ginny's reaction to all this. She wasn't used to this kind of restaurant and when it came time for the check and Draco said "Put it on my tab.", Ginny turned to Alyssa saying, "It would take a fair few of galleons for Ronald to believe this."

They headed back to the castle around nine that night. It had gotten much chillier but Alyssa was perfectly warm in her brand new cloak as she flipped the hood up. It didn't take long to get back and when they did, they walked up to Draco and Alyssa's common room and sat around the fire for a while. Most of the time they were talking, Alyssa had put her cloak back in her room and was now sitting on one end of the couch with Draco.

Ginny and Blaise watched them being affectionate. They were both staring into the fire, Draco with his arm around her shoulders rubbing her arm and Alyssa resting her head on his chest, her hand rested on his leg. After exchanging a look, Ginny and Blaise bid goodnight and left them alone, entranced into the bright flames.

Alyssa looked up at him, who was zoning out completely into the fire, and thought of how she honestly didn't understand him. Well most of him anyway, like how everyone said he was either an obnoxious jerk or you could never ever get to know him. To Alyssa, he was neither. He was never rude to her and he seemed to become quite close to her without hesitation.

She shrugged it off anyway, waving hand in front of his face. He blinked slowly then looked at her.

"Hey," She said softly. He gave her a small smile and said, "Happy Birthday,"

"Thank you, and for the dinner." He nodded and pressed his lips against hers briefly. He looked back towards the fire a moment before she spoke out his name quietly. When he turned back to look at her she let her hand cup his face and sat up higher, kissing him harder and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He shifted and pulled her up against his chest, releasing a soft moan against her lips as she gripped hard onto his shoulder blades. She was hardly aware of leaning back onto the couch so she was lying down with him on top of her until she opened her eyes when his lips moved to her neck. She smiled as his hair tickled her cheek and neck. She pulled him back up so he was kissing her lips again, his hands gripped the back of her thighs, shifting her farther up the couch so he could lay comfortably settled between her legs.

She ran her leg up his side, her skirt flailing up exposing her entire leg. Her hands explored his shoulder blades and further down his back, feeling his muscles ripple beneath her fingers. His hands roamed over her waist, and stomach, up and down her sides, briefly stopping as he came to her breast and gripped it gently causing her to arch against him.

His hand now found its way to her knee just above his hip, running down the length of her bare thigh, leaving a scolding hot trail making her gasp loudly. He paused, feeling the heat himself, and lifted his lips from hers.

They were both breathing heavy, practically gasping for air, their faces not inches apart. His brows furrowed and she looked at him in confusion as he pondered on what the hell was going on. Every time he touched her, he felt this burning or electric shock pass through him and he was sure she felt it too.

He sat up, letting out a deep sigh and muttered, "Sorry." Running his hands through his hair as if he'd done something wrong, and stood up slowly walking into his bedroom.

Alyssa was floored. She thought they were done with all this _sorry _nonsense. The Gods somewhere up there had to have something against her. She sat up and pulled her skirt down to her knees. This was getting ridiculous, she thought while taking off her shoes. She looked over at his door, it was a crack opened. She sighed and turned glancing into the fire once more. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she stood up with her shoes in hand, and walked to his bedroom.

Slowly opening the door, it creaked as she did so. He looked up at her, already facing her while taking off his cloak. Though he didn't say anything, she pushed the door opened all the way. She stepped in, dropped her shoes to the side, and shut and locked the door behind her.

Little did she know, she would be waking up the next day to a world of horrors.


	7. Chapter 7

When Alyssa woke up, she had a very satisfied feeling. She yawned a bit and looked around Draco's room. Her eyes settled at his clock, and stared at it, only blinking when it started beeping ridiculously loud. She nudged the body on top of her, hearing only a groan. She cursed under her breath then nudged Draco again.

He stirred slowly then his eyes popped open as the blaring noise reached his ears. He sat up quickly then turned to his nightstand and slammed his hand onto the alarm, making the noise stop. He leaned back slowly, landing back to his original position on Alyssa.

His head was settled in the nook of her neck, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. Alyssa looked briefly back at the clock, noting that it was only a few minutes past 7. She took her arm back from around Draco's shoulders and stretched muttering, "Get up."

He shifted slightly letting out another groan. "I don't want to."

She rolled her eyes and tried sitting up, "Class starts soon, we have to get up." He refrained from moving. Alyssa gripped the edge of his large bed and pulled, dragging herself out of Draco's grip. She suddenly reached salvation until she toppled out of bed, letting out a significant "Oof."

Half the sheet was wrapped around her waist, only stopped by being around Draco as well. She tugged herself out and looked around for her clothes.

_Dress, shoe, bra, shoe, _she mentally noted. Her panties were nowhere to be found. She slapped her hand on the floor and reached for Draco's clothes. Putting on his boxers and his button up from last night she stood up staring down at his sleeping form.

"Draco, get up." She whined. He made no move. She sighed dropping her clothes and crept over to him, getting back on the bed and straddling his back.

"Draco…" She spoke softly, "You have to get up… Classes start soon." His eyes opened again and he rolled over underneath her, so she was now straddling his hips.

"Good morning." She said cheerfully.

"What time is it?" He asked; his voice filled with sleep.

"7:20."

"Why are you wearing my clothes?"

She smiled and answered, "I can't find my panties, and I need to change anyway."

His hands gripped her waist, "Oh really?" He asked. He sat up, with her still on top of him. She nodded and he smirked, giving her a soft kiss.

"Now get dressed," She ordered, "Or you'll be late." He nodded leaning back on his hands, making her fully aware of him under the sheets. She closed her eyes briefly before he asked; "I'll see you at breakfast then?" She nodded and got off the bed, gathering her clothes from the floor. Sending him a small smile before leaving the room so she could get changed.

Once Alyssa stepped into her own room, she gave a sigh of relief hearing the running water of the shower. If Hermione saw her in her current state, she'd most definitely flip and Alyssa was not excited for a lecture.

She walked over to her closet and changed into her school uniform. She set her books on her bed to pack up and grabbed her shoes. As she sat crouched on the floor, the running water stopped and Alyssa looked up briefly as Hermione came in.

"Good morning," She greeted cheerfully.

Alyssa finished tying her left shoe and looked up, "Morning." She replied just as cheerfully and started working on her right shoe.

"So where were you last night?" Hermione asked, Alyssa could tell she was trying to cover the prying sound of her voice.

She pondered for an answer before standing up. She couldn't just blurt out what she was doing last night.

"Well… we got back late last night so I spent the night in Draco's room." Well, not entirely a lie, "I didn't want to wake you." She added.

Hermione gave her a skeptical look, but smiled a bit anyway. "Thanks… I'm glad because we've got a huge test in Charms today."

Alyssa slapped a hand to her forehead, "I totally forgot!" she received a laugh as she headed towards the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair.

Walking back out she swung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm gonna head to breakfast. I'll see you in a few." Hermione nodded.

Alyssa made her way down the hall and as soon as she reached the stairs she bumped into Ginny. She looked like she'd already been up for a couple hours, yet in a tired looking way, and as soon as Alyssa questioned her Ginny explained that Harry had arranged an early Quidditch practice.

"Does he usually do that?"

"Nope. We all suffered. I even have some bumps and bruises." She said rubbing her arms.

Alyssa shook her head as they made their way into the Great Hall and sat at their table. Harry and Ron were already seated, eating their food as if it'd be there last meal. As she and Ginny sat down, Alyssa let out a significant "_oh_" at the soreness she felt from her…busy night. Ginny looked at her quizzically.

"I'll tell you later," She said with a smile on her face. Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed some eggs and toast.

"Y'know, Harry…" She spoke after a moment of eating, "I hope you're in as much pain as I am."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Oh bollocks, you're fine."

Ginny dropped her fork, "Fine? For your information I have a _yellow_ bruise running down my arm and a practically black one on the side of my hip."

"That's not all," Ron cut in, "Just the fact of how _early_ you made it. Have you lost it?"

Harry set down his drink and took a deep breath. "Look, I just want to get in practice as much as possible. It's my last year here and I want that cup." He finished with his voice strained.

Once he finished his sentence, Hermione came bounding in, her face flushed and looking almost frightened.

"What wrong?" Alyssa asked.

She sat down and waved for Alyssa, Ginny, Harry and Ron to lean in. They all obliged and Hermione put her voice into a low whisper, glancing around the table.

"Lucius Malfoy broke out of Azkaban…" Everyone exchanged glances.

"When did this happen?" Harry spoke darkly.

"About two nights ago, no one knows how it happened I just heard from eavesdropping a bit…" Hermione's voice drained out as Alyssa furrowed her eyebrows together. Lucius out of Azkaban? This was horrid news, especially with Voldemort returned. No doubt her father had anything to do with it. She glanced up to the Slytherin table and taking huge notice of Draco _not_ being there. Alyssa's heart began to race.

She'd heard of Death Eaters proposing their children at the idea of becoming one of them at the age of seventeen. Draco was already 17 and she wondered if now he'd be asked since his father was back.

Alyssa's mind returned when Ginny started nudging her side.

"What the crap?" she demanded.

Ginny looked at her, "Let's get to class." She said rather sullenly. Alyssa agreed, yet when they left they were in complete silence as they made there way to class. They separated halfway, Ginny going to Potions and Alyssa going to charms. Her mood lessened as she remembered about her test she had to take. How is that she had gone from a wonderful mood in the morning to now feeling like utter crap?

But it got worse. It was in the middle of the test when it happened. Alyssa was thinking of an answer to one of the questions, nibbling on her quill, when the doors to the classroom opened. Professor Flitwick was startled and wobbled a bit from his standing position on his desk as Professor McGonagall came in.

"Can I help you, Professor?" Flitwick asked with a bright smile.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could borrow Ms. Bennington?" Alyssa's eyes snapped up at the mention of her name. A few other students looked up as well.

"Well she's in the middle of a test at the moment…" He trailed.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, "This is quite urgent." Alyssa set her quill down and went to gather her bags as Flitwick gave a curt nod.

She left the room, following closely behind McGonagall's long stride. "What's happened?" She asked.

"I'm taking you to Professor Dumbledore, there's been a bit of an accident."

Alyssa's heart skipped a beat at the mention of an accident. Her and McGonagall made their way to Dumbledore's office and stopped in front of the Gargoyles.

"Cornish Pixies." Alyssa would of laughed at the absurd password, but this was no time for joking.

------------

Alyssa made her way to her room, her school bag nearly dragging on the floor. Once inside she shut the door and collapsed. Landing with a thud on the floor, she winced her eyes shut. Her mom was hurt, all because of her _stupid_ father. She couldn't believe this was happening. She yanked herself up and took a few deep, calming breaths, but it didn't seem to help.

She walked over to her trunk and kicked open the lid, sifting through a few things till she found her large duffle bag. She paused clenching the edge of the trunk, willing herself not to cry. She shuddered as she put her bag onto her bed and walked over to her closet. She changed out of her uniform into some jeans and a sweatshirt, pulling out some more clothes and dumping them into the duffle bag.

Once she folded the clothes up, she made her way to the bathroom. She put her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed her toothbrush to take with her. She went back to her room and put those in the bag as well. She bent over to strap on her boots then headed out the door.

Draco was there, waiting for her it seemed, leaning on the couch with his hands folded in his lap. His eyes shot up to look at her as soon as her bedroom door opened.

Alyssa paused, looking back at him, then adverted her eyes to shut the door softly behind her. She was hoping for this not to happen, she just wanted to get out of here as quick as possible, being told to get her things then meet Snape at the entrance of the castle. But now just seeing Draco's face made her not want to leave at all. Alyssa was growing attached, that she knew, and now she had to leave for a week, possibly more.

"Are you leaving now?" He asked softly. He was already in Dumbledore's office when she came in, but he left the room in order to give her some privacy as she found out the news.

She nodded, "Yes, I'm about to meet Snape now." He nodded in return and stood up from the couch. He took a step forward, but seemed to be hesitant. She made up his mind for him, walking up to him and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

He was taken aback at first, thinking of how his father had something to do with this attack. He slowly raised his arms around Alyssa's shoulders, and held her tightly, not sure how to comfort her. She raised her head off his chest and looked up at him, she pressed her lips to his firmly, kissing him deeply.

They both pulled back breathing heavily. Alyssa rested her head on his chest, "I have to go…" She whispered. She felt him nod his had and backed away a few steps.

"I'll see you in a week." She said with a small smile on her face, she kept looking around the room, purposefully trying not to meet Draco's gaze.

He stepped close to her, giving her one more kiss, "Goodbye." He spoke softly. She nodded and looked to the floor shoving her bag back up her shoulder. Taking a step back, she looked up into his gray eyes, then headed for the door shutting it softly behind her.

The next few days had gone by rather slowly, for everyone. The next day after Alyssa left, about two feet of snow had fallen. Due to the front-page article on the _Daily Prophet_, the whole entire school knew about the Death Eater attack on Alyssa's mom and two other Aurors. They also eventually found out that Alyssa's absence was because of her visit to America to be with her mom and brother.

Quidditch was currently postponed due to the weather, putting Harry into a temporary grieving but the rest of the team into tears of joy.

At the news of Lucius Malfoy escaping Azkaban, the school was in uproar. Particularly making things a bit edgier between the Golden Trio and Draco. They were never convinced that he wasn't on his way to becoming a Death Eater, and now that his father had escaped, they seemed sure of the fact.

The beginning of the weekend found Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny outside by the frozen lake building a snowman.

"I wonder what Alyssa's doing now." Ginny pondered while patting snow onto what would be the bottom of the snowman.

Hermione was watching other students outside who were having snowball fights, or skating on the lake. "I imagine her mother's in the hospital. Those Death Eaters _really_ fought with them."

"Yeah… even _I_ miss her, and we're not even that close." Ron noted.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Plus she's only been gone for two days."

"The whole school seems affected by it, save those Slytherins." Hermione said now kneeling in the snow rolling up a big ball of snow with the help of Ron.

"They're probably all excited that the Death Eaters have started acting up again." He said scowling. Ginny mumbled something incoherently.

"What?" He asked.

She hesitated but then answered. "Except for Draco…" It was the first time she mentioned his name to the rest of the Golden Trio, they all turned to stare at her. "He hasn't been doing well since the news of his father's escape."

"And how would _you_ know?" Ron demanded. He never saw Ginny with Draco or Blaise, only heard rumors so this was quite a surprise to him.

Ginny threw her hands up, "You know Ron, not everyone can busy themselves in your world. We've got other things to do."

Harry started coughing, clearly covering up a laugh.

"And anyway, Blaise tells me how Draco's been really put out since his father escaping, and now Alyssa being gone."

Ron scoffed and brushed his hand in the air, "The only reason he's put out is because Alyssa's not here for him to _shag_."

Hermione hit him in the arm. Ginny's face turned bright red trying to control her anger. "No Ron that's actually not why he's put out. Blaise says he really likes her… that she-"

"That she _what_?"

Ginny shook her head sharply, "There's no reason to get all peevish, Ronald! This has nothing to concern you so I don't see what's all the fuss about."

"She's right, mate." Said Harry, he was now back to the snowman, trying to pay more attention to that then the argument at hand.

"You agree with her?" Ron said astounded turning bright red in the face.

Harry sighed and turned to look at him. "Well yeah, she's got a point, you're freaking out for no reason at all. And Alyssa's my friend and its ridiculous for you to get annoyed over her and Malfoy."

"Ridiculous? I'm sorry, am I the only one who remembers how much of a prick Malfoy's been to us?"

"No you aren't, Ronald." Hermione said folding her arms over her chest.

"But Alyssa hasn't been, so let her make her own decisions." Harry finished.

"And let me too!" Ginny piped up. Ron looked at her incredulously, not believing what he was hearing.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means." Only Harry and Hermione knew she was talking about Blaise, but Ron wasn't able to register such things. Instead he turned redder in the face, he opened his mouth to say something but as soon as his voice sounded, a snowball pounded him right in the ear. His head whipped around to stare at Hermione, who was trying so hard to control her laughter. "YOU!" She dropped her hands to her side and took off the opposite direction sprinting through the snow.

Harry and Ginny looked after them. "They've completely lost it…" Harry mumbled. In the distance they heard "I'll get you!" and shook their heads in amusement. They turned around and headed back to the castle to get some hot chocolate, leaving Ron and Hermione to freeze in the cold weather.

The rest of the weekend had gone by rather uneventfully. Now that Ron knew Ginny was really with Blaise, he was watching them with a much closer eye, much to the discomfort of Ginny. Seeing them kiss had actually sent him into a rage and he attacked Blaise who simply immobilized him and walked away calmly.

Throughout the week, snow continued to fall; Quidditch was still postponed which was driving Harry insane. But everyone put a clear refusal on practicing when there was over two feet of snow on the ground. Once classes started, Ginny was thankful she had something to take up her time. She was counting down the days for Alyssa to return, to ask about what had happened. She was not the only one counting though. Draco had been keeping to himself mostly. He'd go to his meals, classes, Head Boy duties, and other than that he'd be kept in his room.

"You think we should talk to him?" Blaise asked Ginny quietly.

"Like he'll actually answer us… he's been moping for a week now." It was now Thursday and Blaise and Ginny were studying in the library. Draco was also there, but he was at the next table.

"Oh come _on_! This is sickening!" Blaise said snapping in a whisper.

"Would you keep your voice down? And besides, wouldn't you be a wee bit upset if your psycho maniac father escaped from Azkaban?"

Draco paused with his quill above his paper, they wondered if he had heard them. Staring at him until he continued on writing.

"Keep your voice down." Blaise said in a high-pitched mockery of Ginny. She rolled her eyes. "Enough of this." He said standing up. He made his way to Draco's table, ignoring the protests of Ginny and sat down across from him.

"Look, Draco." He started, Draco hadn't even looked up or even seemed to be aware that Blaise was sitting across from him, "Don't you think you should get out or something? You've been sitting around doing practically nothing and its unhealthy. I mean I understand you're upset about your father… and I know you miss Alyssa… but can't you just _do_ something?"

"You're rambling." Draco stated, still writing.

Blaise stared at him incredulously. "Draco, for Merlin's sake-"

"Please shut up, Zabini. I think I'm allowed some time to myself, thanks."

"Time to yourself? You're practically _depressed_!"

Draco leaned back in his chair, finally setting his quill down. "I'm not depressed, Zabini, honestly." He said rolling his eyes. "I just don't want any complications with my… father."

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Of course, of course, no one wants to deal with that fool." Draco glared at him. "But don't you think this is the wrong way to be going about things?" Blaise glanced up briefly and took a double take seeing Ginny giving him the most deadly glare. Draco shrugged not wanting to answer.

"Cheer up, mate." Blaise said sighing in defeat. "That girl will be back before you know it."

"Please leave, Zabini."

"And you better tell me how good the shagging is-!"

"LEAVE."

Blaise stood up immediately and returned to his table where Ginny was seated still glaring at him.

"Now was that a good idea?" Ginny demanded.

He sat down across from her smiling smugly. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and continued on with her homework. Draco left soon after, gathering his things rather loudly, ignoring the glares of many studying students. Later that night, Draco and Blaise were patrolling through the halls near the Astronomy tower.

"This is probably the _worst_ spot to do this." Draco complained. They had already caught three couples snogging very heatedly in every dark niche of the wing.

"Aw, it's cute." Blaise cooed. "All these thirteen year olds in love, running about like puppy dogs." Draco stopped walking and looked at him, cocking an eyebrow.

Blaise muttered a "Sorry," And furrowed his eyebrows trying to look intense.

"What's the matter with you?" Draco demanded. "Every time you see a couple you get all _gooey_ eyed, it's disturbing."

"Sorry… I've been with Ginny too much. She's having an effect on me."

"I know what you mean." Draco mumbled looking at the floor.

Blaise stopped short and pointed his lit wand right in Draco's face, "I'm sorry was that Draco Malfoy admitting his feelings about the Bennington girl?"

Draco scowled and hit him in the arm shielding his face from the light. "No…" He said childishly. "You're just over-analyzing things."

"Yeah, yeah… oh look I've got one!" Blaise walked forward quickly and shined his lit wand into another couple's faces. "Oh look what we've got here!"

"Blaise… you have way too much fun with this." Draco said walking over to stand by his side.

"If it isn't the big bad weasel." Blaise teased. Ron's face was bright red and turned it immediately into a scowl. "And what have we got here?" Blaise gasped, "If it isn't Granger! You have a job to be doing missy."

"Oh get that light out of my face!" She snapped. She was trying to look angry but was blushing furiously as she stepped forward.

"Ugh… disgusting." Draco drawled. "I'll definitely have to take points for this one."

Ron took a step forward as well, "Malfoy if you so much as-!" Hermione cut him off by elbowing him in the side.

Draco gasped, an evil smile playing on his face, "Granger! You've trained the weasel as well… how splendid." He clasped his hands together gleefully.

"How about we just get going and this never happened?" Hermione said starting to head down the hall.

"Tsk, tsk, Granger. Weasel here is not a _prefect_, I'm afraid we'll have to dock points for that one." Said Blaise putting on a scowl.

"Oh come _on_, like you're not ever out here with Alyssa, I let that slide." She looked at Draco whose smile vanished and glared nastily at her.

"Well that's Draco, not me. Move along you two before I decide to rid more points." Blaise said waving them off. They walked away quickly and quietly.

"This job makes me sick." Draco muttered. Blaise rolled his eyes and they continued down the hall, they searched the wing for another twenty minutes before heading in.


	8. Chapter 8

When the weekend came, Saturday brought one last Quidditch practice before it would be put on hold for the winter. It was freezing cold outside so most people, save for Gryffindor, stayed inside by the crackling fire and drinking hot chocolate.

Gryffindor tower was empty save for some students studying for OWLS and NEWTS, for most of the students decided to watch the practice. Other students were out ice-skating on the lake - snow had continued to fall pretty much every day – or were building snowmen or having snowball fights. Even Hermione was pondering on whether or not she should go to the pitch. She was coming down with a cold from being outside way too much.

Ginny was also suffering from a cold. She dragged herself all the way to the Quidditch pitch in order to play, but the look on her face made Harry demand that she stay in the hospital wing for the day. So with Ginny's spot currently empty, she made her friend Josie fill in for her, she wasn't amazing, but hopefully Harry wouldn't want to train too hard that day.

Blaise made his way out towards the lake. He had just supervised Ginny in the hospital bed. Madam Pomfrey had nearly force fed Ginny with multiple fluids to get rid of the cold. He rolled his eyes just thinking of Ginny's protests. But he demanded she stay as well, she had a runny nose that was bright red, puffy eyes, and always complained of her ears popping. How would flying help that?

He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and stuck one in his mouth, lighting it and inhaling deeply. He looked around at everyone playing in the snow; Blaise always thought that was a tad childish. Having snowball fights were never productive, and he always ended up freezing half to death.

"Has the weather been like this since I left?"

Blaise's head whipped to the side and he let out a deep breath smiling. "Alyssa…" She slowly turned her head to look at him and smiled.

"Hey." She said cheerfully, Blaise crushed her in a hug and they gave each other a friendly kiss. "How've you been?" She asked.

He shrugged, giving her a cigarette as she held her hand out. "When did you get here?"

"Just now actually."

"Aren't you freezing?" His eyes devoured her standing next to him. She was wearing a thin champagne colored satin dress with black lace lining. It fell to just above her knees with short sleeves, wearing knee high boots as well.

She laughed softly then shook her head. Winter would always bring that question to her. She fully turned towards him, her hair flying behind her in the sharp wind, taking a deep drag. "I haven't had a smoke all week." She said.

He turned to look at her as well, his eyes popping open in surprise. "Jeez, what happened to your head?"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion but then realized what he was talking about. "I was dueling with my brother. Fell back and hit my head on the corner of a table." She touched her fingertips to the round gash right above her left eyebrow.

Blaise nodded understandingly. "Have you seen Draco?"

Alyssa's eyes shot up to his at the mention of his name. She shook her head. "I was just in his room actually, he wasn't there."

"Yeah, he's been wandering around aimlessly lately." Alyssa nodded.

"They tell me to stay away from him."

Blaise didn't need nor want to ask what she meant by they. "And what do you think?"

She smiled slightly, "I don't think I could… even if I tried."

"He's missed you…" Alyssa looked up at him again. "He doesn't admit it. But we all know it's true. And I know he really likes you."

"Yeah?"

"You make him smile. He's never done that." He stated simply, she frowned at the fact.

"Maybe I'll go find him." She said smiling. She put her hand on Blaise's shoulder as she walked away, and for a moment he felt a rush of heat pass through him.

Alyssa made her way back to the castle, her boots crunching in the snow. Her eyes wandered in the direction of the Quidditch pitch as a roar of cheers could be heard. The practice was probably making a close as it had already started when she arrived back in Dumbledore's office. She took a deep breath as she stepped back inside, welcoming the warmth of the school. She was very glad to be back at Hogwarts.

She wandered aimlessly through the halls, wondering where Draco could be. He usually wasn't in the library so she wasn't surprised when she found he wasn't there. She sighed making her way to the courtyard by her Transfiguration classroom. There were more students there, playing in the snow. Some turned to look at her as she walked by, this she noticed. Everyone had heard about what had happened it seemed.

She continued walking through the almost deserted hallways. She was making her way towards the dungeons when she heard footsteps from around the corner. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation as she sped down the hallway, looking around the corner and spotting the unforgettable blonde hair. Alyssa hesitated, remembering her mom and Brad's words in her head, telling her she had no idea what Draco Malfoy was capable of or what his intentions were. Neither of them had known about their relationship, but Alyssa shook her head not caring what they thought. She'd been craving to see him since the moment she left.

As though Draco sensed her, his pace slowed as she crept up behind him. He stopped in unison with Alyssa. She stared at his back as he slowly turned around, looking down at her only a foot away from him.

He closed that bit of distance before she could even smile at him, crushing his lips on hers, cupping her face in his hands as if this was the last time he'd ever see her. She smiled against his demanding lips and wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing him back just as deeply and passionately.

For what seemed like an eternity, they kissed each other, touched each other, as if they had almost forgotten what the other felt like and a bit annoyed that they couldn't do much else in the middle of a hallway. When they broke apart they were both gasping for breath, Draco rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes and running his fingers through her hair.

"It's good to see you." She said breathlessly. He chuckled softly, his breath brushing her face.

"When did you get back?" He asked quietly.

She took a step back so she could actually look at his face. "Half hour ago I guess?"

He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "What the hell happened to your head?" He snapped.

"Ah yes… I was dueling with my brother, nicked my head a bit." Draco frowned and took her hand.

"You come back all injured…" He trailed looking at the palm of her hand, "What's this? Looks like you've burnt it." Indeed her hands were a dark red color as if she just poured boiling water on them.

"Long story…" She yawned. "Could I tell you later though? I'm dead tired." He nodded and they both headed back to Draco's room. Once they got there, they laid on the bed together, Alyssa nestling into the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms around him. He kissed her head, winding an arm around her shoulders and told her that he'd wake her up in a little bit.

"I've missed you, Draco…" She said quietly, already starting to drift off. She kissed him on the neck before snuggling closer to him and slowly fell asleep.

--------

Alyssa's eyes popped open hours later. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the top of the four-poster.

_I don't remember falling asleep. _She thought, _was this a dream? Fuck… am I still in America?_

But then she heard the faint sound of a shower running. She sat up in bed and looked around the room, there was a faint dim that crossed it, and she sighed in relief realizing she was back at Hogwarts, and she smiled once she also remembered that she was in Draco's room.

The sound of running water stopped indicating Draco was done with his shower. Alyssa moved to sit at the edge of the bed, pulling her skirt down to her knees and waiting patiently for Draco to come out. A few seconds past and he walked out in a pair of black boxer shorts. He stopped in surprise seeing her awake.

Smiling warmly at her he said, "You're awake." She nodded smiling at him, and grabbed his hand beckoning him forward. He knelt down in front of her, his wet hair falling in front of his gray eyes, as he became eye level. "Sorry for passing out like that… rather long plane ride." He shrugged, showing that it was perfectly fine. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his softly. If only he really know how _much_ she missed him… and not just for the kissing and his good looks and whatnot. But he seemed to stand as stability in her life and she enjoyed his company.

She took a deep breath, her face not an inch from his, before saying, "I've missed you, Draco." She knew she'd said that already but she couldn't help from saying it. He gave her a small smile before pressing his lips firmly against hers. Her arm wound around his shoulder, tangling her fingers in his wet hair as their kissed deepened.

Draco stood slightly, still crouched over so he wouldn't break apart their lips and pushed her back so he was lying on top of her on the bed. He slid her upwards slightly, so her legs wouldn't dangle off the edge and wrapped his arms tightly around her back clutching her to him. She moaned softly when he tore his lips from hers and craned his neck to kiss her jaw line and the side of her neck, giving her love bites as well. She gripped at his shoulders feeling them flex beneath her fingers.

"Have you seen anyone?" He murmured, still kissing his way around her neck.

"N-no." She stuttered, clenching him tighter as he bit her on the shoulder.

"Maybe you should get to dinner." He said.

Her breath hitched when his hand brushed over her chest, gripping her. "No way." She said stubbornly. He chuckled as her stomach growled. "Damn." She muttered at the betrayal of her own body. He lifted his head, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips before pushing himself up on his arms. She sighed as she lifted up a bit to lean back on her elbows.

"I'll be back tonight though." She said. Draco nodded and slid off the bed. She went to go sit back on the edge and reached down where her boots were and put them back on. She stood up with her hands on her hips looking at him.

"You need to get dressed?" She asked, he nodded again and she gave him another kiss before leaving, "I'll see you later then."

Alyssa adjusted her dress as she made her way to the Great Hall. She had a twinge of regret for having to leave Draco, she didn't want to but alas, people need to eat.

She sat down at her table, noticing that not many others were there yet. She felt eyes bore into her in every direction realizing that she had finally returned. She bent her head down and started wringing her hands nervously in her lap, how much she wanted to be with Draco at the moment. More students filed in and so did Harry, Ron and Hermione. They all made there way to their normal seats, which of course, surrounded Alyssa.

Harry was the first to notice she was there, being that he usually sat next to her. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared down at her as she looked up and smiled shyly at him. A bright smile presented itself on his face as he sat down next to her and they both went for a hug in unison.

"When did you get back?" He demanded. He waited for an answer, "Alyssa?"

"Can't – breathe -!"

"Oh! Sorry!" He immediately let go of her and smiled goofily at her.

She took a deep breath before answering his question. "And I got here today actually, earlier this afternoon."

"Oh really?" He asked, Ron and Hermione had just made their way around the table and sat across from them. "I didn't see you."

Alyssa nodded, "I know, you were at Quidditch and I took a long nap." He nodded understandingly before the same sort of questions ambushed Alyssa from Ron and Hermione.

"How's your mother?" Hermione asked tentatively. She wasn't sure if Alyssa wanted to really talk about it so she implied she didn't need an explanation. Alyssa was perfectly fine with it though, they'd find out sooner or later anyway.

"Well, she's pretty beat up." She started. "But she's being taken care of and there wasn't any serious damage."

"Who did it?" Hermione was afraid to ask.

"My father…" She said reluctantly. "With the help of Lucius." The three of them exchanged significant looks.

"Why would they do that?" Ron asked.

Alyssa restarted her wringing hands looking down, "Um… well – I –"

Harry put his hand on her shoulder, "It's alright… you don't have to say." She smiled back at him; glad that he could understand she didn't want to say. She looked up at the Slytherin table looking for a certain blonde, when she found him he was banging his head on the table and to his right was Pansy Parkinson rambling on in probably her usual whiny voice.

They continued with their dinner, trying to talk about normal things like schoolwork and Quidditch. A few more of Alyssa's fellow students came up to greet her with hugs but she was glad that no one pushed any questions on her.

Harry and Ron delved into conversation of how the break for Quidditch would be coming soon because the weather was becoming way to cold for playing conditions. Alyssa picked this opportunity to talk to Hermione.

"Hey, Hermione." She addressed, Hermione looked up to meet her eyes curiously. "Remember that trigger spell we talked about? With my powers and everything?" Hermione nodded and Alyssa looked around them to make sure no one was listening.

She leant inwards a bit, "Well my brother found it a couple of weeks ago. And we did it while I was in America."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up to her hairline, "Really?" Alyssa nodded. "What happened?"

"Well it was incredible really… but pretty painful I must say. We did the spell in a small room and when he spoke the incantation I was surrounded by this bright green light. My chest felt like it was being crushed but I dunno… it felt amazing."

"Have you tried practicing with your magic?"

Alyssa nodded again and showed her the palms of her hands that looked burnt. "The source of most of it is my hands. I can do some stuff with my eyes and all, but only a little… and it's a bit rusty, not the easiest thing to do."

Hermione nodded not knowing exactly what to say. But as she opened her mouth to say something Alyssa looked wildly around the table.

"Wait… where's Ginny?"

"She's probably still in the hospital wing, she has a nasty cold."

"Want to go visit her?" Alyssa asked. She shoved her plate away as students started to file out. Hermione shook her head, "I would, but I've got some stuff to finish. Plus Ginny looks gross and I'm already a bit exposed."

Alyssa laughed as they both stood up, "I'll see you back in the room then?" Hermione nodded and they parted ways as Alyssa went to the direction of the hospital wing. When she got there, Ginny was arguing with Madame Pomfrey about not needing or wanting to take any more potions since she'd already been there all day. Alyssa stood patiently leaning against a chair next to her bed waiting for Ginny to finish. Once Pomfrey threw up her hands leaving the room in frustration, Ginny turned back to her bed, pausing dramatically at the sight of Alyssa.

"Alyssa!" Ginny ran towards her crushing her in a tight hug nearly plummeting them to the ground. "When did you get back?" She demanded finally letting go. She didn't look as sick as she did earlier that day; thanks to Madame Pomfrey she was nearly cured.

"Earlier this afternoon." Alyssa said sitting at the edge of the bed. "I passed out though, major jet lag." Ginny nodded and sat next to her.

"So how are… things?"

"It's a pretty depressed mood at home. I'm relieved to finally be back here. But my mom seems okay, and it's always great to see my brother." Ginny nodded understandingly. "I couldn't even do anything! I only saw one friend while I was there because he was visiting my mom."

"Who?"

"My ex boyfriend, Jason. He was in the hospital visiting her the same day I was there."

"What'd he say?"

"Eh, just small talk really… it was funny I actually found more birthday presents sent to me left at the estate. But then I couldn't even see anyone, everyone was trying to control me as if there's people out to get me." Alyssa scoffed kicking her legs back and forth.

Ginny laughed, "Is there anyone after you?"

"…Well yeah. But that's besides the point!"

"Yea, I'm sure. Did you tell your mom about Draco?"

"Are you crazy? She'd totally flip. Especially since they all told me to stay away from him… too late for that obviously."

"I know what you mean… oh _bloody_ hell, here she comes again!" Ginny scowled as Madame Pomfrey made her way over to the bed holding another dose of medicine for her. "I don't care what you say! You're taking this whether you like it or not!" she snapped before Ginny could even open her mouth to say something.

Ginny rolled her eyes casting a side-glance at Alyssa. "Sleeping draught. She gives it to me so early… Sod it all." She took the vial and quickly downed the liquid inside, scrunching up her face at the nasty taste.

"Ms. Bennington, she'll fall asleep soon so you might as well just come back tomorrow." Madam Pomfrey said heading back to her office.

Alyssa nodded and hopped off the bed allowing Ginny to climb in. "Ah well, time to rest Ms. Weasley." She said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Ginny scowled as she adjusted her pillows.

"Hey, I like your dress." She said quietly.

Alyssa gave her a bright smile before turning to leave, "Goodnight."

She looked down at her watch seeing it was only 8:30. She decided to head back to her own room first so she could unpack her stuff. When she got there Hermione was already seated on the couch with a book propped on her lap. She looked up at Alyssa's entrance.

"Hey," She greeted, "How's Ginny?"

Alyssa laughed as she reencountered her visit to the hospital wing. "I'm sure she'll be fine by tomorrow. She's already up and about."

"Well that's good." Alyssa nodded in agreement and sat on the couch next to Hermione. She looked at the fireplace noticing that there wasn't a fire lit and saw this as an opportunity to show Hermione something.

"Watch." She said simply. Hermione looked up at her, Alyssa glanced at the fireplace, waving her hand with her palm facing it. The fireplace lit instantly, already dousing the room with more light and heat.

Hermione raised her eyebrows, and Alyssa raised her palm again then making a fist, the fire distinguished. "I'm lucky I can control that. When I get mad I do it unintentionally. But I can do other things too, I got back from the hospital one day and I guess my emotions were running and the room started to shake."

"That's awesome!" Hermione exclaimed surprising Alyssa who jumped and looked at her weirdly. "Sorry…" she mumbled.

Alyssa nodded and continued, "I can lift things too." She pointed out raising the coffee table sitting in front of them. "AND I can create orbs of light, sort of like _Lumos_ but in orb form and without a wand." She explained.

"That's incredible, Alyssa." Hermione complimented. Alyssa nodded but looked down for a moment, "But there's a problem with it too. I can do pretty dangerous things with it so of course I'm not trying to see _everything_ I can do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Brad, my brother, wouldn't really get into it. Some confidential stuff or whatever." She said waving her hand around. "But my powers can get rather dangerous according to my mom…" she trailed. Alyssa didn't really know much on the subject really. Something having to do with her dad but she wondered how her powers could possibly deal with him too.

She stood up to unpack her bag putting her clothes back in her closet. She took out the presents that she found the first day at her estate and put them all in her trunk, not having opened them yet. She looked at her watch seeing that it was a little past 9 and decided she wanted to go to Draco's room. She walked back to the couch and leaned on it as she spoke to Hermione, "I'm going to Draco's room." She said quietly.

Hermione looked up briefly, "Will you be back tonight?" Alyssa didn't answer, just smiled, Hermione shaking her head but you couldn't miss the small smile on her face. Alyssa laughed softly and exited the room. Her eyes briefly met a glittering notice on the board as she turned to shut the door. Walking closely and reading the details it explained the Christmas Ball that Hogwarts would be holding this year. It would be held on Christmas day 7 o'clock that evening, with formal dress. Alyssa loved dressing up for things and couldn't wait to go shopping.

Suddenly there was a grip on her arm and she gasped loudly in surprise turning to look at her attacker. "Draco." She gritted out slapping a hand to her chest and breathing heavily. "You have got to stop doing that."

He smirked at her, "I thought you'd hear me I just came in." Alyssa rolled her eyes resting her forehead on his hard chest. She hopped up to sit on the desk so she could look him in the eye, because even with her boots she couldn't reach his height. She looked him up and down briefly taking in his black button up shirt and jeans. His gray eyes bored into hers and she had the feeling like he was poking around her brain, her eyes widened slightly and she hit him in the arm. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

Draco smirked at her, "Nothing." He answered simply.

"You can do Legilimens! Stop that!" he chuckled softly at her reaction before pressing his lips firmly on hers, she sighed at the soft touch and gripped his shirt to pull him closer. He nestled himself in between her legs as she sat on the desk, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, which she missed during her absence, and opened her mouth against his. They kissed forgetting about their surroundings and only stopped when there was a quiet _ahem_.

They broke apart slowly and Alyssa looked to see who was their intruder. She blushed seeing who it was, "Hello Harry." Draco looked over his shoulder at Harry and Ron who just came in, sighing and rolling his eyes. Ron was bright red in the face and Harry was looking pointedly at the floor.

"Looking for Hermione?" Alyssa asked. They both gave a mute nod and Alyssa pointed back to her room with her thumb, they silently made their way to the room and shut the door quietly behind them. Draco leaned on his hands on either side of Alyssa's legs. "Let's go in your room." She said laughing a bit. He grabbed her hand as she hopped off the desk and they walked back to his room, before she could even turn back around from shutting the door, Draco grabbed her kissing her hard on the mouth. She gasped against his lips at the forceful pressure but hooked her arms tightly around his broad shoulders.

He ran his hand up against her stomach, brushing briefly over her breast as he cupped her neck underneath her jaw. She grinded her hips into his feeling that he indeed wanted her and receiving a growl from him in return. He pulled her into him tightly and they both struggled to side step to the bed and not break away from each other. Alyssa fell softly to the bed with

Draco on top of her running his hands up and down her bare arms, taking her hands in his and pinning them on either side of her head. He broke his lips from hers to move along her jaw and down to her neck, kissing and nipping at her underneath her chin.

He let go of her hands and ran them down her sides, sliding slowly off of her so he could slip off her boots and kick his off as well. She sat up and pulled him back to her leaning back again, and he gripped the back of her thighs shoving her upwards so she was fully on the bed. He leaned on his arms and looked down at her as she broke away from him so she could unbutton his shirt. Once the last button was done, she ran her fingertips up his solid chest and brushed the material off his shoulders and tossed it silently to the floor.

She gripped his hard shoulders and raised herself off the bed so she could kiss his neck. His hands found their way to the zipper of her dress and pulled it down to where it ended by her waist. He sat up on his knees and ran his hands back down to her thighs where the hem of her dress was and lifted it slowly, she raised her arms and he easily took the dress off of her and tossed it to the floor along with his shirt. Alyssa moaned softly when he came back down planting kisses all over her chest and stomach and she ran her fingers through his hair. He raised himself back up so he could kiss her deeply again, and she moved so they rolled over and she was on top of him.

Draco groaned as she rolled her hips against his. She put all of her weight on him in a straddling position and ran her hands down his chest and unbuckled his belt pulling it out of the loops of his jeans. She gave him a small smile as she unzipped his pants and he raised his hips so she could slide them off. He gripped the top of her thighs and she leaned back down kissing him and running her hands over his shoulders. One of his hands moved upwards, hooking a finger under her bra and snapping it opened. She gasped as he wound his hand back to her front and gripped her chest with one of his hands and turned them over, so he was back on top of her.

He sat up slightly, grabbing the sides of her panties and sliding them down her legs and she did the same to him, his boxers following shortly afterwards. They both gasped for air as he grinded his hips into hers, easing himself into her, both looking into each other's eyes. She gripped his arms and ran her thighs up to his hips to get a better hold on him.

As he jerked back and pushed himself back into her harder, she felt a wave of pleasure pass through her entire body. Coursing from the tips of her toes, to her fingertips, feeling as if she was about to explode as they set their rhythm. Draco seemed to be pushing into her harder, and faster, with each thrust and she _really _felt like she was going to explode.

"Draco-" she moaned and gripped his shoulders hard. He pressed his lips hard against hers as she came, letting out a loud moan and breathing ragged. He rested his head in the crook of her neck and gave one, two more hard thrusts before she clenched her muscles around him electing a loud moan from him as he slammed his hand on the headboard above her and spilled himself into her biting hard at her shoulder. He dropped all his weight onto her, a shudder passing through him as he gasped for air.

Alyssa ran her hands down his sides, feeling a layer of sweat over his back. He breathed her name into her ear and gripped her arms.

She was about back to breathing normally when he said, "I made you bleed."

A slight panic shot through her and sensing her stiffness he added, "I bit your shoulder."

"Oh…" She sighed chuckling softly. She hadn't even realized and thought he was trying to say he was too hard on her.

"Am I too heavy?" He asked, his voice muffled by her neck.

She shook her head, "Nope." She had liked the feeling actually, his entire body laying over hers. He raised his head to meet her eyes and smiled.

"What?" She asked suspiciously. He shook his head, "Your neck. You look like you've been bit by a vampire." She rolled her eyes and shoved him off her, hopping off the bed and running to the bathroom to go see. Indeed, there was a round bite mark, resembling teeth perfectly, rimmed with her blood. She came back and hopped back under the covers with him. She seemed incredibly energetic again for some reason.

She rolled on top of Draco so he was now on his back, "What are you doing, you crazy wench." She gasped in surprise at his playfulness and slapped him on the arm.

Leaning down, she covered his lips with hers, kissing him deeply. He gripped onto her tightly, growling against her lips. "Hmm… let's do it again." She mumbled. He chuckled yet gripped onto her hips tightly, pulling her back against him.

-------

When Alyssa's eyes popped open, she had only been asleep for one hour, yet when she closed them back waiting for sleep to come, it didn't. She felt exhausted, well, physically exhausted anyway. She and Draco had gone on for hours and now looking at the clock Alyssa saw that it was a little past 4 in the morning. She shifted around in the bed and at the sound of a slight groan she looked up at the owner of the arms that were holding her.

"Are you still up?" She whispered just incase he was still sleeping.

He nodded then after sighing added, "I haven't been sleeping much lately."

"Why's that?" he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Why do you think?" There was a bit of harshness to his tone, although not trying to be rude or anything, and Alyssa had some thoughts as to why.

She moved over a bit so she could lean her head on his chest to look up at him. "Has your father tried to contact you?" He took a deep breath wondering if he should actually say anything but nodded.

"What does he want?"

Draco rubbed at his eyes. He was obviously frustrated. "Nothing… I shouldn't have mentioned it."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and moved back over so she was lying back on her pillow. Immediately Draco protested and fastened his arms tightly around her waist. "What's the matter with you?" she asked him.

He gripped harder on her and murmured something like, "I don't want him to hurt you." Alyssa tried sitting up but found it hard with his vice-like grip.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded. _Is he delirious? _She thought. He refused to answer her and still held on to her as tight as possible, which was making it rather difficult to breathe. And now all she wanted was to go back to sleep, but now she was wide awake. She looked over to the distinguished fireplace and waved her hand lighting it up. It immediately doused the room with more light so she could actually look around at her surroundings, like Draco's face scrunched up and pressed into her abdomen.

"Draco," She said trying to release herself from his grip, "You should try and get some sleep… this isn't good and you're obviously delirious… for God's sake I can't breathe!" he loosened his grip, but only a little.

Alyssa looked to the clock again seeing it was 4:30 in the morning. She would definitely regret this when she had to actually get out of bed. She sighed and dropped her arms to her side giving up. Looking out the window it was still pitch black, well of course it was. It wouldn't start getting light for another two plus hours.

"C'mon." She said hitting his shoulder lightly. "Get up."

He lifted his head up to look at her, "What?"

"You woke me up, now you'll do as I say. I need a smoke now so get up." She snapped.

He rolled his eyes and rolled over on his back, finally letting go of her. "I finished my pack this week." He muttered.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched tiredly. "Fine, I'll go back to my room then." She sighed and found her underwear somewhere on the floor and walked out back to her room for her pack and some new clothes. She silently opened the door, not wanting to wake up Hermione and crept inside. She tiptoed over to her closet and pulled it open, grabbing some sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt. She tied her hair up to the top of her head then reached over to the nightstand to grab her pack.

When she returned to Draco's room he was sitting at the edge of the bed in boxers and a white t-shirt. He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and running his hands through his soft hair. She stood in the doorway for a moment watching him, wondering if his week was as bad as hers. It probably had been, it's not the easiest thing to have a Death Eater as a father.

"Let's go." She said quietly.

Together Alyssa and Draco crept silently through the school, not even speaking a word. The castle was silent; Filch and Mrs. Norris weren't even out at this hour. Students were sleeping. Even parties had been on the down low for a while, with students getting back to their school schedule. But for some reason the silence was deafening.

Alyssa instinctively reached for Draco's hand, grasping it tightly in her own. It was an affectionate gesture and Draco's head snapped to the side to look at her curiously but she continued to look forward, ignoring him. Although Alyssa and Draco were close and in an intimate relationship, affection hadn't really been a part of that. Draco wasn't exactly an affectionate person and Alyssa understood it but she wanted to change that. She wanted him to trust her and not feel as if everyone could hurt him like his father.

But even with that in mind, Alyssa never knew what Draco was thinking. She didn't know what his intentions were and she had no idea what the future would be like. But right now, things were nice, and she liked it like that.

They walked over to a bench that was partially covered with snow, but after wiping the majority off and casting a drying spell they sat down. Alyssa set her pack down next to her legs and stared out into the dark morning sky. She leaned her head on Draco's shoulder and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Are you falling asleep?" He asked softly.

Alyssa shook her head. "What did you do this week?" he hadn't mentioned it and she hadn't talked about her week either. He sighed not really knowing what to say.

"Nothing. Tried to keep my mind off things, really. I should be asking how yours was."

She stifled a yawn. "Boring, depressing. It wasn't too great."

"Are you cold?"

"Never." She looked up at him to see he was already staring at her. Even in the dim light she could tell he was cold from the slight pink shade on his cheeks. She gripped his hand in both of hers and a heat wave was sent right through him, starting from his hand to the tips of his ears to his toes.

Draco's brows furrowed, "What are you doing?" Alyssa smiled slightly and shrugged, she really didn't want to spill about her powers to everyone. Once she got them under control she'd probably tell him.

"Nothing." She said smugly. His lips turned to a frown and he squeezed her hand, leaning down closely pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

Together they sat, until the sun started to rise. Alyssa was keeping them both warm, still confusing Draco. She had forgotten completely about her cigarettes, and even left them on the bench when she headed back inside with Draco around 6:45. Neither one of them had wanted to sleep and even when they returned to Draco's room and lay in bed together, sleep still did not reach them.

It wasn't until 10 when they actually got up and left to go eat breakfast. Most of the students were already seated halfway through eating, and Alyssa slipped right in between Harry and Ginny.

"Out of the hospital wing?" She asked Ginny who nodded happily while taking a sip of her juice.

"That old hag finally let me out!"

Alyssa laughed reaching for some eggs and saying hi to Harry. "So how was your first night back?" Ginny asked.

"Um… interesting." Alyssa said slowly. "But mostly nice."

Ginny smiled with a curious gaze and started digging into her food. When Alyssa was done she stood from the table.

"I'll see you later, I need to make up some work." Everyone nodded and bid farewell and she made her way back to her room. She took a quick shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. She put her hair into a ponytail and looked over at the note from Hermione. Hermione had made a whole list of things to make up while Alyssa was gone, Alyssa sighed, she never let her down. She grabbed the list and her bag and made her way to the library.

She wandered through the hallways absentmindedly. A few people managed to say hi to her knowing that she had just returned from her stay in America. Alyssa didn't pay too much attention to them though. As she turned a corner she walked directly into someone's hard side, letting out a significant 'oof'.

Looking up, Alyssa found herself staring into Draco's eyes, she was entranced immediately. She quickly remembered, for some odd reason, that when she left they were more of a pale blue-gray color. But now looking at them, she found his eyes were an icy silver color.

She blinked and shook her head, "Sorry." She muttered smiling. She realized that even though they were separated for an hour at most for breakfast, she felt incredibly relieved to be in his presence again.

"Where're you headed?" She asked him adjusting the strap of her bag.

Draco shrugged looking down the hallway, "Just going to the library to get a book."

"Me too," Alyssa said with a bright smile on her face. They continued to walk down the hallway and she reached for his hand. He gripped it tightly and she leaned into him resting her head on his arm as they walked.

They walked in silence before she heard someone shout her name. They slowed to a stop and let go of their hands when the same voice shouted "Alyssa!" Again. This was not a voice she thought she'd hear at Hogwarts. She slowly turned around and her jaw dropped.

"Brad?" Her older brother, Brad, was walking quickly towards her with a smile on his face.

Brad was four years older than Alyssa, but if you saw them together you'd never think they were siblings. He had brown wavy hair that grazed his ears and had dark blue, nearly navy, colored eyes. He was a full foot taller than her, even breaking Draco's height. The only similarity between them was the tan color to their skin.

Alyssa took two steps towards him, meeting him in a tight embrace. They hugged each other for a few seconds before letting go.

"What're you doing here?" Alyssa asked incredulously. She kept her hands on his waist and craned her neck to look up at him.

"Just came for a visit. I've missed you, dear sister of mine." She laughed and hit him in the chest.

"I just saw you."

"Yeah well, I'd wish it was under better circumstances. And I wanted to see where you've been living these past months." Brad's eyes adverted from hers to Draco's. Alyssa dropped her arms and took a step back.

This was something she wished wouldn't happen. She hadn't told her family about Draco and they'd be royally pissed if they found out. She wasn't sure they'd even understand, he was the son of the man who ruined their family. She also hadn't told Draco that she was advised to stay away from him, although she obviously couldn't. Alyssa had a lot of explaining to do.

"Brad… this is Draco. Draco, this is my brother Brad."

There was no exchange of words, no handshake, and Alyssa could feel vibes of anger radiating off both of them. Typically, Draco was a defensive person and knew how her family felt about his. And Brad… well he'd be pissed.

Brad shifted from one foot to another, "You're Draco _Malfoy_, right?" he spit out the surname. Draco stiffened and nodded curtly.

Alyssa touched Draco's sleeve slightly to get his attention, "I'm gonna talk with him for a bit. I'll see you later?" He finally looked at her and nodded, his hair falling into his eyes - which she noticed - seemed to turn a menacing dark gray.

Brad waited until Draco was out of sight before turning to Alyssa. "What the hell is going on? Do you have any idea what he's capable of? What his father's done? Alyssa what are you thinking?"

"Brad, please shut up. And yes I know, I'm not a complete idiot." She said turning to walk the other way. Brad quickly fell in to step with her.

"Then how the hell do you explain this? We already _told_ you to stay away from him, he could hurt you, Alyssa."

She touched his elbow, "Please, Brad. If you just let me explain some things…"

He took a deep breath, not wanting to get too angry with her. "Sorry… but this is serious. Draco isn't some normal guy."

"Look, I can explain." She urged, she looked around before slowing to a stop. "C'mon, I'll show you my dorm."


	9. Chapter 9

"So this is where you've been staying." Brad said looking around her room skeptically. "Well I must say, this is better than Salem."

Alyssa nodded and bowed her head sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Yeah well I also lucked out having basically my own room."

Brad's head snapped back to look at Alyssa. She could read from his composure that he was trying not to freak out over the current situation. He walked over towards her bed and sat down next to her.

"So… are you going to tell me about this Malfoy guy or what?" He asked rather simply.

She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "Well… he's well… he's my boyfriend?" she finished the sentence with a question not sure of how he'd react.

"He's your boyfriend." He repeated slowly. Alyssa nodded again.

"Uh-huh… and when did this start?"

"Um… I'm not sure exactly, like October?" she thought back a bit, she started having feelings for him in October and that's when they'd kissed the first time. She judged from that.

Brad sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "And you understand who he is right? Who his father is?"

"Yes, Brad, I do."

"But you're dating him anyway."

"Yes."

"But you know."

"Yes."

"I don't understand."

"Brad!" Alyssa threw her hands in the air and stood up so she could look him in the eye.

"Well, I'm sorry! But this is a little hard to understand." He stood up as well, ridding her of the ability to look directly at him, and instead towering more than a foot over her. "I don't know why!" She exclaimed.

He looked at her incredulously, "You can't be serious." She didn't say anything so he continued, "Alyssa, his father is the reason our dad has made our lives a living hell, not to mention he most recently attacked our mom, can you honestly tell me that's not a good enough reason to stay away from Draco?"

Alyssa shook her head, "But he doesn't even _like _his father, who's to say he'd turn out like him?"

"Do you really want to risk it?"

"Do you really think he'd hurt me?"

Brad once again ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know… but I don't trust him. And if this attack on our mom really has something to do with you, you're not exactly safe around him. You don't know what he's capable of."

Her lips bent into a frown and she furrowed her brows. "I wish people would stop telling me that." She said quietly. She was sick of people lecturing her about Draco and never telling her anything. She had already heard this from Brad, her mother, a few Aurors, and now Brad again. He sat back down on the bed and sighed.

"Well what'd you expect? We all just want you to be safe."

"Yet I still don't know how this has to do with me." She said rolling her eyes. He smiled at her and stood up again patting her on the shoulder.

"In due time, sis."

Alyssa rolled her eyes at him, slapping the hand off her shoulder. "I'm still not staying away from him." Brad frowned.

"Why not?" He pleaded. He had been thinking he was on his way to convincing her.

"Because I don't want to!" She shouted rather childishly, adding a stomp of her foot. She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her chin in the air.

"How close are you two anyway?" He pretty much demanded with narrowed eyes.

Her arms fell to her side and she backed up a step. "Brad…" She trailed. She really was _not_ in the mood to be having this conversation with her brother. If she did there was sure to be hell to pay.

He waved his hand in front of her face, "Don't 'Brad' me, I remember that relationship you had with Jason and that was sickening enough."

"How very brotherly of you." She said dryly. He smiled, "I try my best." He repeated the question again and she blushed looking away. It was bad enough Brad found out about them being together, she certainly did not want him to know they were… intimate. But it was too late, for the blush had given her away.

He leaned back with a grimace on his face, "Now that's just gross."

She hit him in the arm, "Don't be a baby! I don't freak out about you and your little play things." He rolled his eyes shaking his head.

"Oh, dear sister, why couldn't you have stayed ten forever?" He mused.

"You're incredible." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, yeah." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly to his side. "Now show me around this place!" He demanded.

-------

Dinner brought a very silent Great Hall; every student seemed to be starving with hunger by the time it came. They were all silent, shoving their mouths full with delicious food. Alyssa looked instinctively up at the Staff table where an extra chair was brought up for her brother Brad. He was currently sitting in between professor McGonagall and professor Sprout, and was chatting excitedly to the head of Gryffindor.

Alyssa's eyes then made their way to the Slytherin table, sifting around for Draco. He was nowhere to be found, her lips bent downwards in disappointment. In fact, looking around the Slytherin table she realized Blaise and a few other students were missing. "Do you know where Blaise is?" She asked Ginny.

She finished chewing before answering, "There's one more Quidditch practice for them before the break. I thought they'd be over by now though."

Alyssa nodded her head and turned back to her food, eating quietly. Her head snapped back up when Ginny elbowed her side, "Who's that guy up there?" She asked pointing to the staff table; Alyssa already knew she meant her brother.

"He's pretty cute." Ginny added smiling.

"That's my brother." Alyssa said rolling her eyes. Ginny's jaw dropped as she looked back to the staff table.

"Really?"

"Yup." She looked over back to her brother who was looking around and seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Oh… well then scratch the hole me hitting on your brother thing, then." Ginny said shaking her head sadly.

Alyssa laughed, "Well even I'll admit he's good looking, but he's turning 21 soon, maybe a bit old for you."

She continued to eat through her dinner, hearing the mention of 'that cute boy at the staff table' more than once. She excused herself when she was finished and went outside to the Quidditch pitch. The snow was starting to melt, but the freezing weather proved it wouldn't last for long. Her cheeks tinted pink as the cold air nipped at any skin showing. Casting a heating charm on herself, Alyssa neared the entrance to the pitch, and as she peeked inside, a hand gripped her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat as she whipped around.

"What're you doing here?" Blaise asked. His dark hair was whipped in every which direction, sopping wet. He was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt with a towel slung around his shoulders.

"My _God_ Blaise…" Alyssa sighed with a hand on her chest. "Don't scare me like that."

Blaise flashed her a smile, his pearly white teeth reflecting the moonlight. "I just got out of the showers, I was heading back now."

"Oh… um, do you know where Draco is?"

His brows furrowed in thought before he answered, "Er – yeah, he was the last one in. He's the only one left now, I think he's about to hop in the showers."

Alyssa smiled, "Thanks, I'll see you later." He nodded throwing the towel over his hair and rubbing it dry as he walked away.

She took a deep breath and watched the steam surround her head as she exhaled. Alyssa walked into the locker room silently, it smelt like sweat mixed with wet grass and she scrunched up her nose as she shut the door behind her.

"Draco?" She called softly. There was no answer for a moment and she was looking into the misty air surrounding her before his blonde head popped out behind a row of lockers.

"Hey." He greeted her quietly. She instinctively gave him a once over at his exposed broad chest as he stood in his Quidditch pants. He was holding his Nimbus 2001 at his side, gleaming as if he'd just cleaned it.

He turned back around to continue whatever it was he was doing. Alyssa made her way over, taking off her cloak as it was boiling hot from all the steam. She crept to where he was and sat down on one of the benches as he put his broom away.

He turned to appraise her as she sat waiting patiently for him to sit next to her. He did so, running a hand through his matted hair from sweat. They sat silently, their shoulders barely touching. She turned her head to look at him; he had a sheet of sweat on him from the Quidditch and all the steam surrounding them. He smelt _amazing_.

"So what's up?" He asked her, running his hand through his hair again.

Alyssa gathered her thoughts before speaking. "Well… I kinda wanted to talk to you about my brother… from before."

She looked sideways at him but his eyes seemed to be glued to the floor. She rolled her eyes at his silence and continued. "I hadn't told him about… us. And he -"

"And he hates me." Draco said suddenly, cutting her off.

"Well… he hates your father. And he thinks he might rub off on you." Draco's head snapped up to look at her. "You see… When I was in America, they told me to stay away from you. That I wasn't exactly safe around you."

"But it's obviously too late," She said laughing a bit to lighten the mood. She looked up at him and her smile instantly vanished, he looked deadly serious.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco asked.

She paused and shrugged. She didn't really know the answer to that. "Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? I mean… I've already spent most of my time with you here, so what's the difference now?"

"You're in danger now." He said, his voice stern, "My fathers after you, your fathers after you."

Alyssa stood up immediately and he cursed under his breath. "How the hell did you know that?" She demanded.

Draco leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and rubbed his face. "I don't know." He said softly.

"Well that's a pretty accurate thing to say to just have been made up." She snapped. Realization suddenly dawned on her and she took a deep breath. "You said your father contacted you… did he say something about me?" she asked.

He slowly lifted his head to look at her. He didn't say anything and they both stood there in silence before Draco stood up.

"I've got to shower." He said, towering over her. "Be in my room later?" She looked down and nodded her head. He gave her a brief smile and rubbed his hand up and down her arm before grabbing a towel and heading towards the showers.

Alyssa sighed and clenched her eyes shut in frustration. She didn't know what to think at the moment. Things just seemed to be going downhill since her trip to America. She grabbed her cloak and threw it back on as she made her way out of the locker rooms and back to the castle. She needed answers. Much more answers than what little she happened to know.

Once inside, she made her way to the guest room that was set up for Brad while he was staying there for the weekend. She shoved the door opened without knocking and shouted his name. There was no answer and she let out a frustrated growl as she threw her cloak onto a chair in front of the fire. If he wasn't here now, she'd wait.

She didn't need to wait long though, as she made a move to sit down the door opened and Brad walked in. He smiled brightly seeing her there and greeted her cheerfully.

"Hey."

Alyssa walked around the chair and stood in front of him. "I want you to tell me everything you know, about my powers, and about whatever our Daddy Dearest has planned."

-------

About two hours later, Alyssa found herself lying on her back on Draco's bed. Her shoes kicked off and a glass filled with wine clenched in her hand. Draco was doing rounds in the dungeons and Alyssa had nabbed herself a bottle of red wine from the kitchens. She'd been staring at the ceiling ever since.

Her tears had dried on her cheeks and she blinked hard as she took another sip of her drink.

This was not how her life was supposed to be. She was not supposed to have these powers, these dangerous powers. She was not supposed to have an evil father. She wasn't supposed to be in danger. And she was certainly not supposed to be able to kill hundreds of people if she wanted to.

Of course she didn't want to. But that wasn't the point was it?

It was all what her father wanted. What he'd been planning for God knew how many years. If she had known then she probably would've chopped and dyed her hair, moved to Alaska or some sort, changed her name, and never talk to anyone.

She slowly sat up on the bed and downed the rest of her glass, filling it up once more. She glanced at the clock as she took a sip, seeing that it was a bit past ten. Classes were tomorrow. Yet she had no intention of going. It was Brad's last day, he'd be leaving before dinner, and quite frankly, she just didn't feel like going.

She reached to the nightstand where her bottle was standing and rest her glass beside it. As she resumed her sitting position Draco silently entered the room. She could barely see his movements as he set down his wand and pulled off his cloak as the only source of light was from the fireplace across the room. She didn't turn to look at him; her eyes were enticed completely into the flames of the fire.

For a few moments, Draco stared at her watching the fire. He didn't want to move her, or distract her. His eyes fell to the floor and he slowly made his way over, sitting on the bed next to her. He stretched his legs out in front of him as he settled and his eyes fell on her face. Her head slowly turned to look at him and he noticed her eyes were significantly glazed over.

"A bit too much to drink?"

She laughed softly but shook her head.

"What're you doing?" He asked.

"Drowning my sorrows." She replied rather dryly.

Draco frowned at her and she bit her lip and turned away from him. "Your dad has told you about me, hasn't he." She was stating it, not asking.

"Yes."

She nodded her head and was silent before reaching back for her glass.

"No way," Draco protested, "I'm cutting you off." He reached over and grabbed her waist before she could grasp her drink and pulled her back to his chest. She gave up without putting up a fight, sliding back towards him.

She lay limp next to him, the side of her face pressed against the covers. "This sucks." She muttered.

"Your brother told you, I imagine?"

Alyssa nodded. "I made him. I was sick of people not telling me anything, just telling me what to do. But I think I'd rather have listened to them."

"Why's that?"

She rolled over so she was lying on her back, now staring back up at the ceiling. "Because now I know what I'm up against. It seems so much worse now that I _know_ what's going on. Before I didn't know that I was supposed to be used as this big weapon."

Draco was silent as she spoke, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration and concentration, this he did not know about "What?"

Alyssa snorted and giggled stupidly. "Now don't tell me you don't know this." She looked over at his reaction and he briefly met her eyes, a confused look on his face.

She rolled her eyes and looked back at the ceiling. "I'm a weapon they want for the War. I can kill _loads_ of people for them, without a sweat." She said wiping off her forehead as if she was actually sweating.

Draco let go of her and sat up running a hand through his hair. Alyssa snorted again, much to Draco's irritation. "Oh come on. You talked about me with your dad and he just _failed_ to mention that?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He muttered quickly.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well it doesn't matter anyway. I shall be seeing my dear old dad soon enough."

Draco snapped his eyes towards her lying form. "How can you talk so easily about this? Like we're talking about the weather?"

Alyssa frowned and pointed to the nearly empty bottle of wine on the nightstand. He rolled his eyes and turned back around. "You'll be safe as long as you stay at Hogwarts. They can't reach you here." He said, she sighed again and sat up next to him leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want this." She said quietly looking up at him.

"Don't worry." He said reassuringly while rubbing her arm, "I'll make sure you're safe." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly in his, meeting her eye. She gave him a small smile and kissed him on the cheek.

"Now," Draco started, letting go of her hand and standing up, "You need to get some sleep."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and made a rather unattractive farting sound with her lips. "Fine." She whined begrudgingly. She stretched her arms and cracked her back before slipping off her shirt and jeans and throwing them on the floor next to the bed. Draco raised his eyes at her, but she didn't look at him as she un-tucked the covers and slipped underneath them in her bra and panties.

"C'mon!" She said to Draco patting the spot next to her, he smirked and said he was going to the bathroom first so she settled into the bed turning on her side. She closed her eyes and waited patiently, and in a few moments the bathroom door opened dousing the room with light. Draco turned it off and shut the door and made his way over to the bed. Alyssa opened her eyes at the sudden dip in the bed as he sat on it. He took off his shirt and pants and climbed into bed with her, turning to her backside as he lay down. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her on the neck.

"Goodnight." He whispered.

"Goodnight, Draco." She sighed.

And for once in about two weeks, Draco slept a full dreamless night.

-----

Alyssa woke up precisely at 11:23 the next day. She already missed Transfiguration as she watched the time tick by on the clock. She sighed dropping her head back to the pillow and closed her eyes.

She was surprised to feel a movement beside her, and a low groan. Alyssa turned to see Draco lying on his back; his hand brushing her side and his head turned the other direction. He was breathing deeply, sound asleep and turned back over so now he was leaning at her side. She shifted to her side to gaze at his face; he looked so at peace, his platinum hair falling into his closed eyes. His eyelashes sitting softly on his pale cheeks. She reached out to brush his hair to the side when his eyes popped open.

Alyssa smiled, staring into Draco's silver eyes. "Good morning." She whispered. His eyes fell closed again as he stretched his arms and legs out. They snapped back opened and he smiled back at her. "Morning." He muttered sleepily.

"Don't you have classes to get to?" She murmured.

Draco's eyes flickered quickly to the clock before settling back on her face. "Not today, at least not till after lunch."

Alyssa beamed at him, "That's nice." She said smiling. Leaning forward, she kissed his chest and rested her head on it closing her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled into him tightly.

Slowly, Alyssa fell back asleep, but awoke another twenty minutes later. She looked up at Draco's face and saw he was watching her with interest.

"Enjoy your nap?" he said smirking.

Alyssa laughed and nodded her head.

"Let's go get some lunch." He suggested. She nodded again and they both moved to get up. "Be right back." Alyssa muttered as she pulled on her jeans and shirt. She ran back to her room and brushed her teeth and hair; Hermione of course, was already gone. Then she ran back to Draco's room and came in just as he was buttoning up his shirt.

She leaned against the door and watched him as he finished. "Let's go," She said cheerfully when he looked up at her. They walked hand in hand to the Great hall but parted ways to sit at their respective tables. Alyssa glanced up and smiled seeing Brad in his seat up at the staff table. He returned her smile warmly.

Hermione and Harry were already seated at the table. Alyssa nabbed the seat on Harry's right. He smiled at her and said good morning.

"Where were you during transfiguration, eh?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Alyssa flailed a dismissive hand, "Skivin' today. Brad's leaving so I'm gonna chill with him today." Harry nodded and didn't argue, when Hermione on the other hand had a frown plastered on her face.

"You know, it's not so good to just _skip_ class. Working hard is much more important this year, what with NEWTS coming up."

Alyssa rolled her eyes at the comment. "It's just one day Hermione. And I've already missed a week, what harm can another day do?"

"A lot! You've already got all that homework to make up!" she scolded.

"Then I'll do it today." Alyssa said, putting an end to the conversation.

Hermione glowered and slouched in her seat. She opened her mouth one more time as if to speak, but changed her mind and closed it and continued with her lunch. Alyssa grabbed a sandwich and some orange juice and ate quickly. Brad was supposed to be leaving some time around one that afternoon and she wanted to be with him as soon as possible.

Looking back up at the staff table, Brad was excusing himself and rising from the table. Alyssa quickly ate the last bits of her food before excusing herself as well.

"Where're you going?" Harry asked.

"I'm gonna go see my brother now. Enjoy the rest of classes!" She said with fake enthusiasm. He rolled his eyes as Alyssa stood up and walked out of the Great Hall.

By the time she made her way to Brad's room, he was already there with a big duffel bag thrown on his bed. She knocked on the door and he let her in with a warm smile on his face.

"Packing?" She asked.

Brad shrugged, "Oh yeah." He droned, "It's been great fun."

"Where are you going?"

"Actually, I'll be in Hogsmeade for the next few weeks."

Alyssa's face lightened up immediately, "Really? That's awesome!"

"Yeah I knew you'd like that." He said taking a seat on the end of his bed. "Yeah, I've rented out a place for a few weeks. I'll be here until Christmas break, I'll be heading back home."

"Really?"

"Yep."

Alyssa flopped down on a big leather chair, "That's great. I actually heard that we have a Hogsmeade visit this weekend."

Brad smiled, "Alas."

"So do you need help packing?" she offered.

Brad shook his head, "Nah. I didn't bring too much anyway." Alyssa nodded and he continued, "Actually I'm gonna take a quick shower now. It'll only take a few minutes so you can wait if you want."

Alyssa considered but declined, "I think I'll go outside for a smoke. I'll come back afterwards."

"Alyssa," Brad groaned, "You're still smoking?"

"Oh, c'mon Brad. I've barely smoked at all since my trip to America. And you can't just cut me off, I'll have withdrawal symptoms!"

Brad rolled his eyes, "You're one for the dramatics. But fine, go, but come back afterwards."

"Yes sir." She saluted. She turned and headed out the door. She was steps from being outside when she had a sudden realization. She didn't have any cigarettes; she left them outside two days ago. Alyssa muttered a curse under her breath; now that she was on her way to smoke she _really_ wanted a cigarette. She reached salvation when she saw Blaise walking down the steps behind her. He was sure to have one on him.

"Blaise!" She shouted at him. He stopped in his tracks with a slight panic stricken look on his face. He walked quickly over to her and hissed, "I need the loo really bad so make this fast."

"Right, um, do you have a cigarette?"

"This couldn't WAIT?" He nearly shouted at her.

"Look, the faster you give me one the faster you get to piss." He stared at her awe stricken before nodding in agreement and shuffling around in his pockets for his pack. He pulled it out and practically threw it at her, then took off towards the dungeons with Alyssa shouted, "Thanks!" at him.

Alyssa shook her head in amusement as she made her way outside. A new layer of snow seemed to have fallen overnight, she observed. There were barely any students outside due to classes, and even if they were off it was freezing outside. Alyssa made her way through the snow near a big tree by the partially frozen lake. Using her wand, she melted the snow for a spot against the tree, and then cast a drying charm on the grass so she could sit down. Once seated, she pulled out a cigarette and lit up, inhaling deeply, then exhaling.

When she finished, Alyssa flicked it into some snow beside her and rested her head back against the tree. Sighing, she thought of how fast and odd the past week had gone by. From her moms attack, to her powers, to Lucius Malfoy and her father, and last but certainly not least, Draco. She rolled her eyes just thinking of trying to comprehend what the hell was going on.

She let her eyelids drop shut. The cold wind was whipping her hair around her face, mixed with the silence, she soon found herself drifting into a very deep sleep.

_She was her 5-year-old former self. _

_She happily skipped into her parent's room, her soft hair bouncing around her head, her white dress flailing around her. The room was doused with light; the large windows opened all the way with sunlight pouring in, wind billowing the white silk curtains around._

"_Daddy?" Her tiny voice called loudly. A handsome man around the age of twenty-five stepped into the bedroom from behind her._

"_Hey, sweetie. What's up?" He walked across the room throwing a book onto his desk then leaning his back against it. She walked quickly over to him hugging one of his long legs then taking a step back to admire her father._

"_I was just looking for you, is all."_

"_Well that's good." He said smiling, "I need to show you something." He squatted down on his knees to look into her violet eyes, the same deep shade of his own._

_She bounced happily, "Ooh! What is it? What is it?" She asked excitedly._

_He shook his head chuckling softly, "Now that is a surprise, my dear. You'll have to come with me."_

"_Aw man, is it far?"_

"_No, not too far. It's outside though. Do you want to come with me?" He held out his large hand, his palm facing upwards._

_She smiled brightly nodding her head. "Of course, Daddy." She placed her tiny hand in his large one and he gripped it in his fist tightly. "Good." He muttered, a glint sparkling in his eye. It confused her actually; she had never seen this glint before._

_Together they left the bedroom, walked down a spiral staircase and out through the back door. Walking out of the door, they stepped into a field with white flowers reaching the height of her father's waist. She reached her free hand to brush her fingertips against the soft flowers._

"_Dad, where are we going?" she asked dropping her hand back to her side._

"_Be patient, my dear." He called back. "We'll be there soon enough."_

_They continued on through the field. She had no idea where she was going but her father seemed quite sure of himself. He gripped her hand tighter as they finally reached the edge of the field. There was a lining of perfectly green grass and ten feet ahead was a dark, dreary forest._

_She tried recoiling her hand but her dad's grip tightened. "Daddy, I don't want to go in there. It looks scary."_

_He didn't turn his head around to talk to her this time. He kept forward dragging her along with him; "Nothing is going to hurt you, sweetheart." He said, his voice stern. "I'll be with you, just don't let go and you'll stay safe."_

"_But Dad-"_

"_Alyssa!" He snapped. "You'll be fine, just come along." She frowned as he pulled her forward._

"Alyssa, can you hear me?"

"_Dad, wait. I can hear someone calling me." They were deep into the forest now; sharp twigs were pulling and ripping the thin material of her dress._

"_There's no one here but us."_

"Alyssa, wake up!"

"_Yes there is!" She urged, "Can't you hear that?"_

"_Alyssa, this is the last time, there is no one here but us. Keep up."_

"We're lucky Hagrid was preparing for a class, he saw her walking in here."

"_See!" She shouted, she ripped her hand out of his grip. "Hello?" She called behind her. "Is anyone there?"_

"Are you all right? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes slowly drifted opened. She was staring up at treetops concealing the gloomy sky.

"She's awake." A voice spoke above her. She felt damp; her hair was clinging to the sides of her face that felt like it was burning. She was hovering awkwardly above the ground with a slight sway.

Soon her voice found her, "Where am I?"

"It's all right, Alyssa. Just rest."

She had no idea who was talking to her but she nodded and closed her eyes.

-----

Alyssa's eyes snapped open. Wincing at the bright light she snapped them shut again. "What's going on?" She murmured. "Who are you?"

"Alyssa? It's me, Brad. Open your eyes, you're safe."

"Safe? What're you talking about." She slowly opened her eyes and glanced around at her surroundings. Brad was on her left at her bedside, next to him was Professor McGonagall, and finally on her right bedside was Dumbledore. Alyssa slowly sat up, in what she found herself, in her bed. Looking around she realized she was in the hospital wing. She could see Madame Pomfrey ways back tapping her foot impatiently.

"What happened?" she asked tiredly.

Dumbledore inclined his head towards her and spoke softly. "It seems there has been a few complications regarding some Death Eaters and the use of the Imperius."

"What?" Alyssa snapped, a bit more loudly this time. Her head turned to Brad as he spoke.

"Well, you fell asleep while you were outside by the lake – well – someone cast a sleeping spell, and then used the Imperius on you… a Death Eater it seems."

Alyssa's brows furrowed in confusion. When the hell had this happened?

"Hagrid was preparing for a class in the Forbidden Forest," He continued, "He saw you walk in, students aren't allowed of course, so he called to you, but you didn't answer and kept walking through."

"Wait – I'm sorry – what are you talking about? Where was I going?" Alyssa sputtered. She was incredibly confused and had no idea what he was talking about.

"Well, we figured that someone was trying to drag you off school grounds. They cast you under the Imperius and made you walk through the Forest."

"Why would they do that while I'm sleeping?"

"Ah, Ms. Bennington," Dumbledore spoke, "I'm sure we both know that with your abilities you'd be strong enough to fight the curse." Alyssa beamed at the compliment.

"Which of course," He continued, "Leaves us to believe that the Death Eaters very well know about you and your powers." Her smile vanished instantly. "I'd suggest you try to stay inside Hogwarts at all times, and if not make sure you are closely accompanied."

Alyssa nodded obediently. "Something tells me that this is not the last encounter we shall have." Dumbledore finished. He bowed his head in dismissal and glided out of the room. "Poppy will take care of you my dear." He called as he left the room.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward. "Ms. Bennington, once you are taken care of you are free to go. But tomorrow I would like to see you going to class." She added with a stern yet amused tone of voice.

Brad stood up from his position against her bed and cracked his back loudly. "Well I'll be back in my room, I'm gonna grab my stuff and come by you before I leave."

"You're still leaving…"Alyssa said sadly.

Brad gave her a cheeky smile, "Well, yeah. I'll be seeing you soon though." He winked at her and walked out of the room.

Madame Pomfrey finally stepped forward with a bowl of an orange goo of some sort and set it on Alyssa's nightstand.

"Ms. Bennington, I'll just be using this to heal any injuries you've got."

"Injuries?" Alyssa asked alarmed. "What injuries?"

Pomfrey sighed; she never seemed to be a patient woman. "You can go look in the bathroom if you want, you've got to change out of these clothes anyway."

Alyssa looked down at herself realizing indeed, she was a complete mess. The bottoms of her jeans were soaked, dirty, and torn in many places. Parts of her shirt were also torn. She got up off the bed and walked towards the bathroom with a change of pajamas from Pomfrey. Looking at her reflection, she gasped in surprise.

There were many cuts on her cheeks and forehead, along her neck, and down her arms. She was walking through the forest so she figured it was from any thorns or sharp twigs. Even her legs were covered in cuts. She quickly changed into the pajamas and walked back into the wing and sat on her bed.

"If you could just roll up your pants?" Pomfrey asked. Alyssa did as told and Pomfrey rubbed in some of the orange stuff around her cuts. It stung at first but then settled with comfortable warmth. Pomfrey continued to do the same with her arms, neck and face. When she was finally done she excused Alyssa. "Oh, Ms. Bennington?" She called before Alyssa walked out of the room. "Try not to get injured so much? You've already been here twice, you're new and have only been in this school for not even four months."

Alyssa strained a smile and walked out.

As she made her way back to her room she was scratching herself all over. The cream that Pomfrey had rubbed over her was itching the crap out of her. By the time she made it back to her room she had stopped to scratch the life out of some body part and had made many screams of frustration, scaring the lights out of some students. She wanted so much to take a shower but she had to wait till the cuts were fully healed before doing so; hopefully that wouldn't take too long. She walked into her room, Hermione of course was at classes so she was not there, and flopped backwards onto her bed.

It wasn't long before Brad came in with his duffel bag thrown over his shoulder.

"Ah," He spoke surveying her. "You look splendid."

"Brad, please don't."

"I was just giving you a compliment. You look lovely."

Alyssa snapped back up into a sitting position and glared at him. "Do I look all orange?" She said scrunching up her face.

Brad cocked his head to the side, "Eh, just a bit."

Alyssa nodded and stood from the bed. "So I guess you're leaving now?"

"Yep." He nodded. "I'll owl you this week though, so we can meet in Hogsmeade this weekend, okay?"

She nodded and reached up on the tips of her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. He tightly wrapped his arms around her waist and even gripped harder to lift her off the ground as not to crane over so much.

"I hate it when you do that." She mumbled into his shoulder.

"Yes, but you're so short, I can't help it." He smiled and rubbed the back of her head before dropping her to the floor again. "Now stay safe, I can't have you being attacked again. Our family has had enough trouble."

"Thanks Brad." She responded dryly, although she had a broad smile on her face.

"See you later, kid." He said bending over once again to kiss her cheek.

"Love you." She whispered.

"Love you too." Brad gave her one more smile before walking out the door.

The door shut softly. Alyssa adverted her eyes to the floor and let out a big sigh letting her shoulders drop. She turned around and crawled back onto the bed, lying down and curling up on her side. It wasn't long before her eyes drifted closed and she fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

It was finally the end of the week. The day before the next Hogsmeade visit, the day when everyone would be there shopping for their outfits for the Christmas Ball. Alyssa's week had gone dreadfully slow. It was filled with lots and lots of late homework assignments. Her teachers had been going extremely hard on her about the homework, and Snape had even made her take a few quizzes to refresh her memory, as if she'd been gone for a month. The _Daily Prophet_ was also being an enemy of hers; the writers had somehow found out about the mishap of her close call with the Death Eaters and the story was on the front page, finding its way, of course, to the rest of the student body.

Rumors were circulating around Hogwarts about what had, or had not happened to Alyssa. Most of them were of course untrue and were stories of bloody, and decapitating events – which obviously – was very far from the truth. Alyssa had received loads of letters from Brad, her mom, and even some old friends from America – the news had even reached another country.

Among the letters from Brad was one scheduling a meet up in Hogsmeade for the next day. He wanted Alyssa to meet him at the Three Broomsticks around 2 o'clock for lunch. This had been the only up of her extremely boring, homework filled week.

Alyssa woke up at precisely ten o'clock on Saturday. It was especially early for her on these so savored weekends, but today she was off to Hogsmeade at 12 so she wanted to get up at a somewhat decent hour. She stretched her arms and legs underneath her comforter and popped her head above it to look out the window. It had started snowing once again on Wednesday, and today was no different.

She threw her legs over the side of her bed and yawned loudly, stretching her muscles some more. Surprisingly enough, Hermione was still sleeping. She had been up late the previous night studying as usual and was still up by the time Alyssa had retired to her bed.

Cracking her back, she rose from the bed and walked over to the closet to grab her robe. She pulled on a pair of shorts and fastened the robe over her shoulders. She ruffled her already messy hair and headed down towards the kitchens.

Upon entering, a house elf immediately appeared with Alyssa's coffee in hand.

"The usual, Missus." The squeaky voice emitted, and it popped away before she could mutter a thanks.

Draco was already there, seated at the other side of the kitchens by a small window. He was usually the early bird and Alyssa wasn't a bit surprised to see him there. She yawned and took a sip of her coffee as she made her way over.

He looked up as she sat down next to him. She flopped on the seat, took another sip of her coffee and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Rough night?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Alyssa rolled her eyes; he very well knew what they had been up to the previous night.

"Splendid." She muttered stifling another yawn. "I'm not used to getting up early on weekends."

"Alyssa, this is hardly early."

She flailed a dismissive hand, covering her mouth with her free hand as another yawn tempted to escape. "Yeah, yeah." She muttered. She downed the rest of her coffee rather quickly and dropped the mug back to the table.

"I'm gonna shower." Alyssa said standing. "I'll come by your room afterwards before we go to Hogsmeade."

Draco nodded and set his eyes back to the _Daily Prophet_ he was reading.

Alyssa walked back up the pathway that led back to her dorms and into her room. Hermione was still sleeping but was rudely disrupted when Alyssa made her way over and softly slapped her cheek a couple of times. Hermione's eyes popped open at once and she uttered a loud gasp seeing Alyssa standing by her bedside.

"It's 10:30, Hermione. We're leaving at 12."

Hermione let out a pained groan but sat up in bed anyway ruffling a hand through her fuzzy hair.

"You're up before me." She said quietly in utter amazement.

"Surprising myself even." Alyssa replied happily. She turned from the bed and made her way to the bathroom calling over her shoulder, "I'll be in the shower."

Hermione's response was a loud yawn. Alyssa rolled her eyes and shut and locked the door behind her. She threw a towel over the door of the shower and turned on the water. After quickly stripping off her pajamas, she stepped into the shower and let the hot steaming water cascade down between her shoulder blades.

It didn't take long to finish her shower. Alyssa stepped out and wrapped the towel around herself, and squeezed the water from her hair. She walked over to the fogged up mirror and rubbed her hand across it a few times in order to see her reflection. As she combed her hair she waved her free hand by the door, unlocking it and opening it about a foot. Hermione immediately bolted in and although Alyssa was standing there staring incredulously at her, she ran straight to the toilet and peed right in front of her.

Alyssa furrowed her brows at her reflection, chose not to say anything and continued combing her hair.

At the sound of the flushing toilet Alyssa set down her comb, cast an odd look at Hermione as she walked to the sink to brush her teeth, and went back to her room for some clothes. It was snowing outside so she decided to dress warmly. She wore long black pants with her knee high boots and put on a white, long sleeved blouse. She towel dried the rest of her hair even though it wasn't exactly tidy looking, and grabbed her red cloak.

Hermione finally came out of the bathroom, fully clothed and her curly hair tamed.

"What's your plan for the day?" Alyssa asked interestedly.

"Er – well I'm going dress shopping. And I need to buy some school supplies and whatnot. Harry and Ron are of course dragging me to Honeydukes and Fred and George's shop."

"Why don't you come dress shopping with me and Ginny?"

Hermione pondered the question for a moment. "Won't you be with Malfoy?"

Alyssa couldn't help but roll her eyes at the question. "Well we're splitting up to go dress shopping. I don't think boys would like to come with us anyway, it'll probably take a while."

Hermione's face lit up immediately, "Well then yea, sure. When do you want to meet?"

"Well, I'm meeting my brother at the Three Broomsticks at 2 so how about after that?"

"Yeah, that's fine. That gives me time to do other stuff first." She said nodding.

Alyssa stood up from her seated position on the bed and grabbed her cloak. "Well I'm going to go see _Malfoy_. So I'll see you later." Hermione rolled her eyes and waved goodbye.

Alyssa smiled back and headed out the room and across the commons to Draco's. She did not bother to knock and entered his room. He was standing by the closet getting dressed, his hair was wet showing that he had just gotten out of the shower. He turned as she came in and she melted at the sight of him.

Draco Malfoy was a sight to behold.

"Hey." She managed to choke out. Draco smiled as he finished buttoning up his dark pants. Alyssa made her way to his bed and sat down Indian style, with her cloak resting upon her lap.

"You ready to go?" She heard Draco ask from his spot near the closet.

She nodded, "Yep, but we've still got – like – a half hour." She said looking at her watch. He pulled his white oxford shirt over his shoulders and buttoned it up, then sat down at the bed to put on some socks. Once he was done, Draco turned to look at her sitting a few feet behind him. He stretched his long arms out and grabbed her waist; she let out a loud squeak and giggled as he pulled her towards him.

Draco silenced her by pressing his lips to hers in a hard passionate kiss. Alyssa went practically limp in his arms and he kept his arms firmly wrapped around her waist. She moaned in his mouth and pulled away slightly, "We'll never get to Hogsmeade if you keep kissing me like that."

He smirked at her and pinched her side before standing up to grab his cloak. "You ready?" He asked after he shrugged it over his shoulders.

"Yup." Alyssa stood up as well, tossing the cloak lazily over her shoulder.

It was not moments before they left their dorms before Alyssa walked into somebody. That someone was holding a scolding hot cup of coffee and happened to spill it all over her chest.

"OH FUCK!" she shouted incredibly loud. She started fanning her chest and was jumping up and down making "Ooh" and "Aah" sounds.

Draco stared at her strangely with a cocked eyebrow then looked up at her attacker. It was a Gryffindor, he observed with a roll of the eyes.

Alyssa – still jumping up and down – pointed her finger at the Gryffindor. "Oh my _God!_ Look what you did!!!" she had also barely recognized him; she thought he was in Ginny's year.

"Oh, I'm so terribly sorry!" The boy stuttered, his face remained emotionless though as he saw the effect the coffee had on Alyssa's shirt – it had become practically see through. His eyes narrowed into slits and he reached forward as if to touch her before she jumped backwards.

"Whoa!" She shouted. "What do you think-!"

"Hands OFF!" Draco suddenly shouted stepping forward.

The boy immediately recoiled once he saw the look on Draco's face. He muttered another sorry before practically running off. Draco turned back to look at Alyssa who was red in the face and looked like she was about to cry; and she was still hopping.

He pointed his wand at her and muttered, "_Scourgify_," the coffee immediately disappeared, her shirt had dried. Alyssa let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Draco asked, clearly amused.

Alyssa through her hands in the air, "Oh yes, Draco! It was hilarious!" She said sarcastically.

He continued to laugh softly, although he did catch the sarcasm in her voice.

"What the hell is going on here?" Someone shouted. Alyssa and Draco turned their heads to see Ginny and Blaise walking towards them with strange looks on their faces.

"Merlin," Ginny exclaimed, "I could hear you screaming all the way down the hall!" She told Alyssa.

"Well some _moron_ spilled coffee all over my tits!" Everyone stared at her, "Well he did!" Ginny and Blaise fell into hysterics, practically doubled over laughing, but Draco looked none too amused.

"Bloody pervert if you ask me."

"You laughed you big jerk!" Alyssa said, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Well that's because he thought I was going to rip his head off!" Draco resented.

"Oh yeah - because - you know," Alyssa faltered at first, "You didn't find it funny at all when I was making an idiot out of myself."

Draco looked affronted, slapping a hand to his chest dramatically, "Of course not!"

"Enough you two!" Blaise cut in, stepping in between them. "My God." He rolled his eyes and continued walking down the hall, Ginny followed in step. Draco and Alyssa looked at each other, rolled their eyes in unison and caught up with Ginny and Blaise.

Just outside the Great Hall, McGonagall and Filch were standing collecting permission slips from students going to Hogsmeade. Carriages were outside in the snow waiting to take them to the village and students were piling around the doors rushing to get outside.

"Oh I'm so excited!" Alyssa said, hopping with glee. "My first _Hogsmeade_ trip."

"We've been there before, y'know." Ginny said over her shoulder.

"Yes but this is the _official_ trip. Like – official!" They all turned to stare at her strangely as she smiled to herself imagining the fun shops she'd be visiting in about a half hour. She finally reached McGonagall and handed her the permission slip her mom had signed. She let out an excited "WOO!" startling a few students, and headed out the front doors.

Everyone immediately pulled their heavy cloaks on as they entered the brisk air. Snow was falling in heavy clumps and there was already about a foot lying on the ground. Alyssa thanked herself silently that she wore boots instead of sneakers as her feet were buried in snow. She looked to Draco on her right whose eyes were searching for empty carriages; his cheeks were tinted pink from the chill air. He looked ridiculously adorable, she concluded. He stuck his arm out, pointing to a carriage a bit to their right.

"There's one." He said.

They all hurried forward and got into the carriage before anyone else could occupy it. The carriage was considerably warmer than the outside, probably charmed.

Alyssa looked out the tiny window as the rest of the students got into the carriages. Her attention was once again brought to the dark winged horses that were leading them; she hadn't seen them since her arrival at Hogwarts. She still wondered why they'd use such odd creatures. She voiced her thoughts to the rest of the occupants.

"I wonder why they use these strange horses to lead the carriages." She said quietly. Everyone looked at her strangely.

"What horses?" Blaise asked.

Alyssa looked around at everyone, they seemed oddly confused. "The ones leading the carriages… the winged horses…"

Ginny was the only one who spoke up. "You can see them?"

"Well, yeah. I'm not blind, you know." Alyssa said rather matter-of-factly.

"What horses?" Blaise asked again, seeming more frustrated.

"Their Thestrals." Ginny explained. "Only people who've seen death can see them…" She trailed off, realizing that Alyssa must've seen someone die in order to see these creatures.

Everyone else had also come to this conclusion; they were all looking at her in deep thought. Draco didn't look too surprised though; he leaned towards her and spoke quietly so only she could hear. "I see them too, you're not mad."

Alyssa didn't know whether she should've been relieved or not. Why the hell would the school have creatures like that? She decided to push this to the back of her mind and brought her attention to looking outside the window as the carriage slowly came to a start. Ginny and Blaise saw her silence as a sign to move on and they changed the subject, starting up new conversation. Alyssa was barely aware of her surroundings until she felt Draco take her hand in both of his and place it safely on his lap. She turned to look at him and his attention was also focused elsewhere.

Once they made their arrival to Hogsmeade, Alyssa's mood was lightened extremely and she was bouncing in her seat with excitement. She waited just until the carriage made a full stop and kicked the door opened, hopping out into the foot of snow.

"C'mon let's go!" She shouted impatiently at the other occupants. She turned to look at the view of Hogsmeade; students were already making their way to different shops. Not quite soon enough - Ginny, Blaise and Draco stepped out of the carriage and it quickly pulled away.

"Where to, malady?" Ginny asked hooking her arm in Alyssa's.

"Ugh, I don't _care_!" Alyssa said exasperated. She gripped onto Ginny and pulled her forward, practically marching through the snow. Blaise and Draco followed close behind.

"Ooh, lets visit my brothers first, they have a shop here."

"Really? Which ones?" Alyssa asked; Ginny had been more than sure to inform her of the numerous members of her family.

"The twins; Fred and George. Don't even try to tell them apart."

Alyssa's brows furrowed, "…all right."

Ginny stopped walking for a moment, pulling Alyssa to a stop with her. She turned back to look at Blaise and Draco who were not far behind.

"You two would best decide not to come in."

They seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation and Blaise looked up confused. "Sorry?"

"We're going to my brothers shop."

Blaise seemed to have understood immediately and nodded. Alyssa looked at Ginny, "Why not?"

Ginny waved a dismissive hand at the whole ordeal, "Family rivalry, the usual." Alyssa frowned; she didn't exactly want to leave Draco. They continued walking down the street they were on until they reached a shop with vibrant colors of weird mechanics in the window. A large display that read Weasley Wizard Wheezes stood at the top.

"This is it!" Ginny said cheerfully. Alyssa made her way over to Draco and kissed his cheek.

"I'll see you in a bit."

"We'll be waiting." He said reassuringly.

Alyssa turned back to Ginny and they walked inside the shop, it was completely crowded with tons of other students including Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron was enthusiastically trying new products as Hermione stood behind him tapping her foot starting scolding at his back.

"Ginny!" Shouted two identical voices over the crowd of students. Alyssa looked up as two tall twins bounded through everyone and grabbed Ginny in a forceful hug.

-----

"Well that was _fantastic_!" Alyssa said excitedly. She was sifting through her bag of products that Fred and George had willingly given her.

"I know! And most of this stuff is free isn't it?"

"Yeah, they said they had load of extra experiments."

"To be honest," Ginny said looking into Alyssa's bag, "I'm not sure I'll be willing to try these anyway. You never know what these two are up to."

"Eh, whatever. We'll just try them on Draco and Blaise."

Ginny let out an excited giggle and nodded enthusiastically. "Brilliant." They stopped right outside the doors, hitting their wands to their bags to make them smaller and fit inside their cloak pockets. Ginny looked around the street, "Actually, there they are."

Draco and Blaise were across the street looking into the window of the Quidditch store. They were both smoking and were talking animatedly about the Firebolt that was in the window. As Ginny and Alyssa made their way over they could here snippets of their conversation.

"-Oh don't complain, Draco. You've got a fine broom."

"Yes but I want this one."

"You sound like you're three years old."

"_Yes_ but I _want _this one!"

"Should we get you a nice big colorful lollypop as well?"

"That's not funny at all, Zabini."

Ginny and Alyssa looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison. "I actually find that quite funny." Ginny said with an amused look on her face.

"Yes I thought it was quite funny as well." Blaise said in agreement. Draco let out a sigh of frustration.

"He's a child at heart." Alyssa said slapping a hand to her chest. She turned to walk a few steps down the street when a hard snowball hit her right on the spine.

She whipped around quickly; Blaise and Ginny were standing there with their jaws dropped, and Draco was standing there smirking.

"Damn…" Ginny muttered. "That look could destroy Voldemort himself!" Draco faltered, taken aback by Ginny's comment and turned to look at her. Alyssa took this as her chance; she ran forward and dove at him, tackling him down to the ground.

"Holy crap!" Blaise shouted. He stutter stepped to the side, wondering if he should get involved or not. Alyssa straddled Draco's waist and grabbed a handful of snow, shoving it all over Draco's face.

"ARGH – bloody wench!" he bellowed. He too grabbed himself a handful of snow and slapped it to the side of Alyssa's head, knocking her to the side. She let out a frustrated scream and went to shove snow on the inside of his robes before he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the side of her head.

"Uh-oh." Blaise said. "This is going to be a huge change of events."

Draco reached up to brush the remaining snow from his face. He looked down at Alyssa; her face had droplets of water and was bright red, there was clumped snow in her hair, and as he gave her a once over he chuckled to himself before pressing his lips to hers.

"Oh, come off it." Ginny said.

Draco brought her hands down and placed them on his hips, he placed his own hands to cup her face before nibbling slightly on her lower lip.

"Can we please go?" Ginny continued, "I'd like to get to another shop before having to go for lunch."

"Yes, and I'd like to get through the day without watching you two snogging." Blaise agreed.

They finally broke apart and eventually raised themselves off the ground. But they stood still with their hands locked looking at each other; they leaned forward as if to kiss again but Ginny grabbed Alyssa's arm and yanked her back.

"You're done – I'm cutting you off." She said sternly. She gripped onto her arm tighter and dragged her in the opposite direction.

Blaise waited patiently as Draco brushed the snow off of his cloak and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up at Blaise expectantly, smirking.

"Real sly, Draco. Real sly." Blaise murmured, Draco's smirk grew stronger and they followed suit behind Alyssa and Ginny.

Alyssa was walking lazily through the snow, deep in thought with a ghost of a smile on her face. Ginny stared at her pointedly until snapping her fingers in Alyssa's face. "What?" Alyssa snapped, the smile vanishing completely.

"You're off your rocker."

"Excuse me?" Alyssa asked confused.

"What is with you two anyway?" Ginny went on, "I mean, every time I see you, you're both snogging as if your life is going to end in an instant!"

"Oh Ginny, don't tell me you and Blaise don't do the same thing."

"Well have you _seen _us walking all over the place waving our business out and about?"

"Well – no." She decided as they turned a corner, "But I'm sure you both have those times when you're alone in his room, and he's there, and you're there, and you just decide – hey-"

"You're not making any sense!" Ginny snapped.

Alyssa thought about what she said then nodded in agreement. "But you must admit you have times when you can't keep your hands - OH!" she exclaimed in surprise as a bright white light flashed before her eyes. Her thoughts of course, were that she was about to die and she was waiting for her life to flash over – but in reality, she blinked hard willing away the black spots blurring her vision.

Everyone stopped walking in surprise and looked forward at the photographer who just let off a flash.

"Ms. Bennington!" He cried taking a step towards her with a notepad out, "Tell me – what was it like to be attacked my a mass of Death Eaters?!"

"What? I never-" she was cut off. Draco took a step forward and pushed her behind him glaring at the photographer.

"Fuck. Off." He uttered, clearly pissed.

But the photographer looked delighted at the sight of Draco. "Ah… Mr. Malfoy, I presume? Is it true about your relationship with Ms. Bennington?" He asked taking another flash with his camera and pulling out a quill to scribble something now.

"Hey!" Alyssa shouted from behind Draco, "That's none of your business!"

Draco let out a deep growl that Alyssa could feel coarse through his body. He stepped forward, seized the camera and pegged it at the wall causing it to smash.

"HEY!" The photographer exclaimed outraged. "That's worth galleons!"

"I'll be taking that notepad as well." Draco said rather civilly.

The photographer paused, but at the look on Draco's face he dropped the pad and scurried off down an alleyway, disappearing from view. Alyssa took a step forward and raised her hand expectantly as the notepad floated slowly till it was hovering slightly above her palm. She blinked her eyes and the pad burst into flames. Her head snapped back in surprise and she dropped her hand to her side, the pad falling into the snow and burning until it was a small pile of ash.

"How'd you do that?" Ginny asked curiously from behind.

Alyssa's brows furrowed, "I'm not exactly sure." She turned around to meet the gazes of her three companions, followed by an awkward silence. "Let's go." She finally said looking to the ground and starting off down the street.

Glancing at her watch quickly, Alyssa saw that it was quarter past one. She had been anticipating seeing her brother all week and just hoped that the next forty-five minutes would pass by quickly. She reached her hand out once more, waiting. Then was satisfied as she felt Draco grip her hand tightly with his own.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

Alyssa looked up at him, "How about we stop at Honeydukes?" She could hear Ginny ask.

She answered "Yes." To both their questions – satisfying Ginny – but Draco looked at her sadly before they crossed the street and entered the shop. Alyssa was once again met with bright vibrant colors of all sorts of treats lined up along the walls of the shop. There was a crowd of students milling through the aisles of assorted candy, such as were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Fizzing Whizbees, Chocolate Frogs, Acid Pops, Pepper Imps and Sherbet Balls. Most of which, Alyssa had never tried before as she watched a student grab a sherbet ball and levitate off the ground.

It was then – as she reached for a box of Chocolate Frogs – that she started seeing things. It was all too familiar. She squeezed her eyes shut and dropped the box to the ground, quickly pushing through the students and back outside.

She took a deep breath trying to calm down. Other people passing looked at her strangely as she practically hyperventilated in front of them. Alyssa couldn't understand what was going on. She was getting flashes of her father and she couldn't block it out. He was smiling that _smug_ smile that he always had plastered on his face as if he'd done something grand. But in his case it usually had to do with the torturing of an unfortunate Muggle.

Alyssa snapped her eyes shut again as she started hearing voices – voices of her father, and of people she didn't know. She put her hands to her ears. "_Get out of my head_." She whispered venomously.

Soon it all stopped. She calmed down and breathed in the crisp air.

She pulled her hood up, concealing half of her face and put on her gloves. As she turned to walk away someone tapped her shoulder. She whipped her head around and her demanding gaze met silver eyes.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked.

"I'm fine." She ground out.

He looked her up and down, his brows furrowed. "You're crying."

"What?" She asked surprised. She wiped a hand across her face, indeed she was crying. She hadn't even realized. She let out a stupid "Oh." and turned to keep walking. Draco grabbed her arm and swung her around again.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"Nothing." She answered after a long pause.

"Oh okay. Because here I thought it was normal to burst out of shops crying when there was absolutely nothing wrong."

Draco waited for her to respond and when she didn't, he sighed deeply. "You want to go for a walk?" Alyssa nodded mutely and he took her hand, taking off walking in the opposite direction. Alyssa wasn't sure of where they were going, but followed suit as Draco walked down the sidewalk. They soon reached the end of the street but he kept walking, down a small pathway of snow. Tall trees and everything that was covered with snow obscured everything in vision.

A few minutes passed until they reached a clearing. They stopped at a wooden fence that looked out over a bare field. All except an old abandoned looking house. The windows were either broken or boarded up as well as the door. The roof was practically falling off and the entire house was slanted a bit on its side.

"What is that?" Alyssa asked, squinting her eyes as she looked at it.

"It's the Shrieking Shack." He answered softly. "Most students think it's haunted. But I heard that Dumbledore made it for Lupin to stay there while he was in his werewolf form, so no one would find out."

"My godfather you mean?"

"Yes."

"Can we go in?"

"It'll probably collapse right on our heads once we walked through the front door." He said observantly.

She nodded in agreement. She took of her gloves and stuffed them in her pockets, then climbed up on the fence and sat on the top post. Draco stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his height making him able to rest his chin on her shoulder.

"So what's wrong?" He finally asked.

Alyssa sighed, not knowing what to say. She shrugged, "It's my dad. He's trying to get in my head, ever since Monday." She said referring to the Imperius.

He didn't say anything so she continued. "And my powers… I can feel them getting stronger. Like today with the fire, I didn't even know I could just do that with a blink of an eye. I want to see what I can do… but I can't… Brad told me they're dangerous, that they can be used as a weapon."

"I don't know what to say…" He admitted. "You've got some burden."

Alyssa let out a deep breath, "Tell me about it."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes; Alyssa was in deep thought as her eyes stuck to the Shrieking Shack, neither of them saying a word.

It wasn't too long before Alyssa could feel Draco shift his body around, then a vibration ripple through her back as he growled. She whipped around to look at what was bothering and could see a few feet away from them that the Golden Trio was approaching.

"Oh great," She could already hear Ron whining, "The ferret is here."

Alyssa's head snapped back, "What did you call him?" she asked confused. Ron's eyes glanced at her briefly then snapped back to Draco, who had let go of Alyssa and turned around to face them. Alyssa hopped off the fence and walked over to his side. Harry and Hermione seemed relatively calm but Ron was red in the face, already pissed off.

"To what do I owe this pleasure ladies?" Draco spat. Alyssa and Hermione tried a bit unsuccessfully to hide their laughter and Ron only turned a deeper shade of red.

"Watch it, ferret." Ron snapped at once.

"And what are you going to do if I don't, weasel?" Draco asked calmly. He took a few steps forward.

"Draco." Alyssa warned; she was not in the mood to watch these two beat each other to a bloody pulp. Ron took a step forward as well and Hermione grabbed his sleeve viciously.

"Oh come _on_, Ronald." She scolded. "He's just trying to provoke you and you're letting him!"

"Ah yes, listen to the girl, weasel." Draco agreed with a smirk plastered on his face.

"_Can it_!" Ron snapped. "One more word from you and I swear-"

"Swear what, weasel?" Draco asked.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. This was getting extremely childish. She shifted from one foot to another and looked at her watch. It was one 1:53!

"Draco!" She snapped. "We have to go."

He turned his head, "What?"

"This is getting ridiculous," She said walking over and pulling on his arm, "And I'm supposed to meet Brad, let's go." She urged. Draco looked Ron one last time, sighed, rolled his eyes and followed Alyssa back down the path.

"Do you know how unnecessary that was?" Alyssa scolded at Draco, "You stupid boys and your stupid arguments, it couldn't get anymore childish."

"Sorry, mother." Draco spoke in monotone. Alyssa looked at him incredulously and punched him hard in the arm.

"OW!" Draco looked astonished; he stopped walking and began rubbing his arm, "What was that for?"

Alyssa looked up at him innocently but couldn't help but laugh as he pouted and continued on rubbing his arm. "C'mon, loser." she said rolling her eyes and grabbing his sleeve.

Soon enough – though not quite for Alyssa – they approached the Three Broomsticks. Brad was outside waiting for her at the entrance. Alyssa turned to Draco before walking away, "I guess I'll see you later?" She asked gripping his hand.

His silver eyes drifted back to her face and he gave a mute nod. She reached up to kiss his cheek and gave him one last smile before stepping away. Draco stood back as Alyssa practically ran to him with her arms opened wide.

"Brad!" She squealed as she ran into his open arms. She felt as if she hadn't seen him in years even though it hadn't even been a full week. Brad hugged her tightly and let her go after a few seconds.

"Hey, sis. How are you? Still dating Draco, I see." He said glancing at Draco's departing form.

"Oh, shut it. And I'm fine, you?"

Brad shook his head and rubbed his bare hands together. "Never mind that, let's get inside."

Alyssa willingly agreed and they went into the Three Broomsticks, immediately greeted with warmth. They sat at a both on the opposite side of the front doors and took off their cloaks. They both sat in silence until Brad ordered drinks and the waitress came back with two large butterbeers. Alyssa nearly downed the drink as it coursed down her throat and warmed her insides; she smiled as she set down the mug.

"So how's Hogsmeade treating you?" Alyssa asked.

"Pretty good, actually." He answered, "The place I'm staying at is quite nice and the food couldn't possibly be any better."

It was small talk like this for a few minutes before Alyssa started feeling antsy. She could tell Brad wanted to say something, other than 'How's your day?' and 'Crazy weather, don't you think?'. He kept shifting his eyes around as if people were listening onto the conversation. Alyssa nearly said 'I told you so' as he finally said something she figured she'd hear sooner or later.

"So… you're being careful, right?" He asked slowly and attentively.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, with your powers and all."

Alyssa perked up a bit, "Actually, this really cool thing happened today. I set this thing on fire and like, I didn't even _do_ anything really, I just sort of blinked… and…" She trailed at the look on Brad's face.

"What?" She asked.

"Alyssa, I'd rather you not experiment with these powers."

She frowned at him, "But Brad, I didn't even meant to, it just happened and-"

"And you weren't controlling them. What's to say it won't 'just happen' to a building or something."

"Brad, I think you're overreacting. I'm sure I'd be able to stop myself from setting a building on fire."

"But we don't know that," Brad continued, "That's the point. We don't know too much about what your powers can do and we'd rather not risk it."

"Who's _we_, anyway?" Alyssa asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"_We _as in me, mom, a few Aurors… people like that. We just want you to be safe is all."

Alyssa flailed a dismissive hand. "It's perfectly fine, Brad. It's not like I sit in my room and see what I can do. I at least have to be thinking it with my mind. It's like I have that hole mind power thing like Professor X." Alyssa said childishly referring to X-Men.

"Alyssa… could we not refer to comics, please? This is serious."

"Ugh," She scoffed, "You're starting to sound like my dad." She paused as he made a frown and continued quickly, "Well not _our _dad, but, like a dad in general… telling me what to do… oh you get it!" she said giving up and throwing her hands in the air.

"It's fine" Brad said taking a sip of his butterbeer. "Like I said, we're just looking out for you. We – _I _don't want anything to happen to you."

"Yeah, especially with Lucius knowing about me already." She muttered.

"_What_?" Brad snapped. "You didn't tell me that!"

"Well DUH, Brad. Dad is friends with him, you think he honestly wouldn't know?"

"Oh… right, sorry." Brad muttered.

"Well anyway, can we please switch subjects? I wanna chat with my bro, not have this crappy discussion."

He laughed, "You're so lucky I'm a laid back guy, little sis." Alyssa rolled her eyes.

They eventually got sandwiches to eat and treated themselves to a second butterbeer. An hour flew by and they found themselves ready to part ways again. Alyssa got her cloak and gloves on as slow as possible; she never spent time with Brad and with him in Hogsmeade it was like he was so close yet so far. They stood outside of the Three Broomsticks in the freezing cold air and flipped up their hoods as the chill wind whipped by.

"Well, it's time to go, little sis." Brad said looking down at her. He zipped up his coat and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Aw man," She whined, "But I probably won't see you in forever!"

He laughed and patted her arms reassuringly; "Actually I'll be in Hogwarts for Christmas. I'll be sure to visit you."

"Really? Are you going to the ball too?"

"Oh yeah." He said scratching his head, "Now that I think of it, I need to get a tux or something." He looked at her and smiled, then bent down to kiss her cheek. "Be careful, would you?"

"Yes, Brad, of course." She murmured reluctantly. She stepped forward and hugged his waist tightly and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders in return. "I'll miss you." She whispered.

"It'll be Christmas soon enough. Love you." He said kissing her forehead.

"Love you too." She said looking up at him. Brad gave Alyssa one last smile before turning to the opposite direction and headed down the snow-covered sidewalk. Alyssa sighed heavily and rubbed the palms of her hands together. She took off down the street and it wasn't long before she met up with Ginny and Hermione. They were standing outside of Madam Puddifoot's finishing their cups of coffee before throwing them out in the nearby trashcan.

"Hey," They both greeted Alyssa in unison. "How was your lunch with Brad?" Ginny asked.

"It was great," she said smiling, "I found out he's coming to Hogwarts for Christmas!" she continued excitedly.

"Oh really?" Hermione asked, "I can't wait to meet him, I've heard _so _much from Ginny." She continued, nudging Ginny in the ribs.

"Oh sod it." Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"So where's Draco and Blaise?" Alyssa asked.

"Hm? Oh, they went to go get something to eat. A small café or something."

"Yeah, so we figured we'd go looking for dresses now." Hermione added.

Alyssa nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, I've been waiting to go shopping for this."

The two of them nodded in agreement and they took off down the street. They reached a small dress shop on the corner of a side street and walked through the entrance. A bell above the door rang as the door opened and closed. There were aisles of racks filled with many different colors and styles of dresses. On the far wall were shoes and accessories. Alyssa immediately walked to the far side of the room on the opposite wall. She sorted through a few different dresses that were odd colors. She trailed her fingertips over the fabric as she looked for her dress.

"Oh! Look at this one!" She could hear Ginny saying not to far from her. Alyssa looked up briefly to see Ginny pick out a long red dress.

"Don't pick red, Ginny." Hermione said critically from her spot in the corner. "You already have that blood red hair, you need something else."

Ginny put her finger to her lips in thought as she looked over the dress. After a few moments she nodded in agreement and put the dress back down.

"Yeah… try something violet." Alyssa piped up.

"_Violet_?"

"Yes, _violet_. That color looks great on redheads."

For a few minutes they searched for certain dresses, here and there they'd find something but then would decide against it. After a good twenty minutes, Alyssa finally came across a gorgeous dress that hung alone against the wall. She literally gasped when she saw it and walked over to it.

She fingered the dress, running her hands over the straps and the flowing material. "This is it." She muttered, and without a second thought, she grabbed it off the rack and brought it up to the sales clerk.


	11. Chapter 11

Alyssa threw her jacket on her desk and sighed looking out the window. A huge snow storm decided to pass through and seeing as some classes were outside, the day had been cancelled. Everyone was glad too, and not because they got out of class, but because everybody seemed so tensed up lately. The Christmas Ball was coming up. Students and teachers were fretting about with what to wear and how the decorations would be set up.

Not to mention the tension that stirred up between few select students. After the weekend, the great Golden Trio continued to start fights with one Draco Malfoy. Nothing would be said, yet once they crossed paths, a brawl would ensue. Many house points were docked, and detentions given, yet nothing seemed to calm them down. It was a complete mystery.

Alyssa walked into the bathroom and turned the hot water on in the shower. She stripped her clothes. Once the water started to steam, she stepped in letting the hot water pass over her head and down between her shoulder blades.

She was sore. With her brother around, he was always trying to figure out everything about her powers – which only led to her practicing them. Brad could tell she was getting even more powerful as the days went by, and he wanted her to get them under full control. Alyssa could move things, throw things, set things on fire, conjure light – basically anything she set her mind to.

Classes were becoming more demanding then ever. Their Christmas break had just begun and teachers made sure to give them as much work as possible.

Alyssa stepped out of the shower and dried herself off with her towel. Putting on some new clothes, she threw her hair up into a ponytail. She grabbed her books so she could get to the library and get a head start on all her work. Sitting at an empty table in the far corner of the library, Alyssa set to work, spreading papers, books, and her quill around the table in front of her.

She lasted about twenty minutes before piling her things back up and throwing them in her bag. She barely made a dent in her homework but decided to put it off till later. Looking at her watch – it was 4:37 – she stood up and ran her hand through her damp hair. She pulled it out of her ponytail and let it cascade down her shoulders, then grabbed her bag and left the library.

It wasn't long before she could hear the persistent wining of one Pansy Parkinson. Alyssa rolled her eyes as she turned into the same hallway and sighed as she watched Draco become the victim of such indecencies.

Draco seemed perfectly delighted at the sight of her, though. Once in sight he smiled brightly and practically ran over to her throwing his arms around her.

"Alyssa!" He shouted – very out of his normal character. He was choking the breath out of her as she barely responded at his unusual behavior.

"What a pleasant surprise!" He continued, "I've been looking for you all over the place."

Alyssa glanced around his arm to see Pansy glaring daggers through his back. If looks could kill he'd be long gone. "Draco – what is wrong with you? Get off me." She snapped quickly.

He dropped his arms and took a step back adjusting his robes, trying to regain his composure. "Well, Pansy" she drawled "It's been fun catching up, but time goes on – alas, we must go." Before Pansy could open her mouth to reply, Draco and Alyssa took off in the opposite direction.

"Maybe you should get a restraining order?" Alyssa suggested.

He shrugged, "Doubt that'll work."

"Should I kill her?"

Draco stopped walking and looked at her. Alyssa looked up at him with innocent eyes and simply shrugged. "Now, that would be the best Christmas present ever."

Later that night, Brad met with Alyssa in her room right after dinner. Alyssa opened the door and saw him already perched on the edge of her bed.

"Practicing again?" She asked stifling a yawn.

He nodded, "Let's go."

They walked to the Room of Requirement, where they were told by Dumbledore to practice her magic. They walked past the wall three times and the door appeared. Brad held the door opened for her and she stepped in, surveying the room. The walls were bare stone, as was the floor. The room changed each time they went there, depending on what needed to be done. Alyssa looked at Brad suspiciously as he shut the door behind him.

"As you can see," He started motioning to the room, "We won't be needing anything. This is quite a simple task. Here, take a seat." He pointed to the very center of the room, and Alyssa sat down on the floor.

"The point of what we're doing is to make you learn to control your powers. What you've seen has just been little bits of what you can actually do." He stood in front of her as he spoke. "If these Death Eaters learn to control you in any way – before you do – that's how you'll be used as a weapon."

"And that's obviously a bad thing." Alyssa said.

"Yeah. I don't mean to scare you, but you can do anything you put your mind to. You have the power to destroy… to kill." Alyssa looked up at him with sad eyes. She looked back to the floor and folded her legs beneath her. Brad took a seat in front of her.

"But moving on… Tonight, I'm going to… shall we say hypnotize you."

"You can do that?" Brad nodded. "Since when?"

"That's beside the point." He said waving a dismissive hand. "All you need to do is relax. When I put my hands on your temple, you will close your eyes. You will see images that are going to upset you."

"What's the point of that?"

"I'm trying to get a rise out of you. It'll take you to a breaking point, you'll see and feel what that is – and that's when you have to control it. You must concentrate as best as you can to control what's going on around you."

"What if I can't?"

"Then I'll do it for you. But – don't think like that – I'm sure you'll be fine."

Alyssa sighed and watched as Brad flicked his wand at the room. Instantly, portraits were hung to the walls, tables with glasses and candles were set up, bookcases piled with thick books stood high and furniture was set around the room.

"What's all this for?"

"You'll see." Brad said. He looked at her then sat closer with their knees barely touching. "Are you ready?"

Alyssa nodded, sat up straight and rested her palms on her knees. "Everything will be fine." Brad said. He reached forward and placed his fingertips at her temples. She closed her eyes and soon she felt herself drifting – like she was falling asleep.

Suddenly she was getting images of memories flashing across the backs of her eyelids. It was all of her father, her childhood, like looking into a Pensieve. All of their fights – finding out he was becoming a Death Eater, finding that disgusting Dark Mark branded on his arm, watching Lucius Malfoy have his way with the only man Alyssa thought she could trust. It was all horrible. She could feel the shaking and the trembling surrounding her, but it didn't stop there. Being tortured like a test subject. Reading headlines of missing Muggles and knowing that her father had taken part of that. Her parents divorce. Her family's lives being threatened.

Everything stopped for a moment, and Alyssa could hear Brad's soft voice. "Control it, Alyssa."

Alyssa tried to concentrate, but it wasn't working. She was loosing control; her emotions were getting in the way. It was like a rush of blood and she could feel her breath becoming short, her heart beating faster and faster. The memories were flooding in as she tried to block them out; seeping through her built up barriers.

Then it was clear. Everything stopped and Alyssa opened her eyes.

She was in midair. Her feet were hovering awkwardly about a foot off the floor. Brad was standing a few feet away from her, staring at her with his wand at the ready. Alyssa looked around slowly; tables were toppled to the floor and broken into two. Glasses were smashed and the shards spread around the room. Portraits were lying torn and broken on the floor and the furniture was ripped to bits.

"Are you okay?" Brad asked.

Alyssa took a few calming breaths and her feet touched the floor. She hadn't realized she was crying and wiped the fallen tears. She took one look at Brad and frowned.

Then she took off, and ran out of the room.

She ran all the way to Gryffindor common room and quickly muttered the password. Glancing around the room, only one person was there. Alyssa sighed in relief as the portrait slammed shut behind her. Harry glanced up from his position in front of the fire; he had been reading the _Daily Prophet_. Crookshanks hissed and jumped off of Harry's lap and up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.

"Alyssa?" Harry asked curiously, "Are you okay?"

"No." She sobbed as she made her way over. "I'm sick of _all _of this."

Harry stood up as she reached him and she flung her arms around her neck. "I'm so sorry, Harry." She said through tears, "But I don't think I can talk to anyone else, no one can understand." The force she was putting on him pulled them both down so they were kneeling on the floor.

"It's okay… it's okay." Harry said trying to calm her down. He rubbed his hands along her sides trying to comfort her as she took deep shaking breaths.

He tried untangling her death grip from him. "Do you want to go in my dorm? It'll probably be more private there, everyone's out."

Alyssa wiped at her eyes and nodded.

It was around an hour later when Alyssa woke up in Harry's bed, Harry at her side. She'd spent God knew how long ranting on about the pressure she was feeling. She never realized it until moments ago with her brother. It might've been just an experiment but to her it was like reliving her past. A past she didn't want to even remember. Sure there were good things in there, but also lots of bad things. Things that people should never go through.

Mostly she felt betrayed. Alyssa had heard stories of people becoming Death Eaters, and the crimes they committed. But she didn't know anyone could actually _do _things like that, and especially to her. Alyssa felt like she was carrying a heavy burden. She didn't want these powers – this _gift_. To her, it wasn't a gift; it was something that people could only use against her.

She knew exactly why she chose Harry to talk to. She couldn't very well spill it all to anybody. Harry knew what it was like to be in a dangerous position. He knew what it was like to have these pressures, these burdens. Alyssa felt she could relate to him; or he could at least listen to her and not judge her.

She turned in Harry's arm to face him. His eyes were closed and he was lying on his back.

"You awake?" She asked softly.

"Yes." He answered. She turned over on her back and rubbed at her face. Her eyes stung and she could tell her cheeks were puffed up. "How are you?" He asked.

"Better. Sorry for… the whole rant thing."

"It's fine… I understand what you're going through." He removed his arm from her waist and held her hand in his. "If you ever need to talk to someone…"

"Thanks, Harry."

"Can I ask you something?"

Alyssa turned her head and looked at him.

"Why didn't you tell Malfoy about this?"

Alyssa sighed. It was a completely innocent question, but she didn't really know how to answer it. Why didn't she tell Draco? She usually opened up to him and him with her. But this was different somehow.

"Draco's feeling a lot of pressure right now; he doesn't need me to lose my mind like this. Especially since this has to do with his father. It's a bit too personal for comfort, I think."

Harry nodded his head and didn't say anything more. He wasn't aware of Draco's position. In Harry's mind, he was still the son of a Death Eater, and wanted nothing more than to fill his father's footsteps. Alyssa didn't think anything would change his mind, or Ron's, or Hermione's for that matter. And it sucked.

"Hey, what time is it?" She asked. Harry craned his neck to look at the clock.

"Almost 10." He answered.

Alyssa mentally winced, "Crap. I need to get going. Brad's probably having a shit fit." They both sat up, Harry chuckled at the odd term she had used.

She ran her hand through her hair and wiped at her face a couple of times, then turned to Harry. "Thanks again, Harry. I... it's good to get stuff off your chest." He nodded understandably.

They both leaned into each other and gave a tight hug. Harry rubbed her back, "Anytime, I'm here."

"Thanks, Harry." Alyssa said smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow." She got up from the bed and he smiled, "Goodnight," He said. And she turned from the bed and walked out the door.

A few people were in Gryffindor now. It was the last day of classes so everyone was out with friends. They looked up as Alyssa passed with curious glances. She ignored them and walked through the portrait. She became increasingly fidgety as she walked down the deserted hallway. Her hair was a mess and she was sure that her eyeliner was smudged _everywhere_. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but she had to admit, she was wiped after that venting session. And Harry was incredibly comforting; she couldn't help it.

As she turned the corner she heard the familiar voices of Blaise and Draco. Through the dark hallway she could see their shadowy figures and she rubbed at her face again before they met at the middle.

"Alyssa?" Blaise asked squinting through the darkness. They both had their wands out and seemed to be doing patrolling duties.

"Hey." She said quietly, still fidgeting with her hair.

There was an awkward silence before Blaise spoke up. "You look like shit." He declared.

Alyssa furrowed her brows and dropped her arms to her sides, "…thanks."

"You've been crying." Draco said. Alyssa mentally slapped herself; she knew he'd be able to tell. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she nodded quickly. He stepped forward towards her but she put her hands up to stop him.

"No – it's fine… I'm just gonna go to bed, I think." Draco looked sadly at her but nodded anyway. She offered a smile before continuing on down the hallway.

When she got to her respectable common room, Brad, Ginny and Hermione were all seated around the blazing fire. Brad looked over and instantly stood up at the sight of her.

"Alyssa-"

"Brad, don't. I've had enough share time this evening." Alyssa said putting up her hands and walking towards Draco's room.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alyssa stopped dead in her tracks and turned around slowly.

"What are you…?" She paused as he gave her a meaningful look. "You saw what I saw?"

"Yes." Alyssa knew what he meant; he had no idea that their father had ever used the Cruciatus on her.

"I - I can't talk about this tonight, Brad." She spat out quickly and turned to open the door and shut it behind her. She rested her back against it and took a few calming breaths. "No more crying." She muttered as she wiped away the fallen tears.

Alyssa walked over to Draco's bed and took off her shirt, followed by her pants. She crawled onto the bed and snuggled under the covers, distinguishing all the lights save for the fireplace. It was late and the full moon shone between the curtains of the large window. Tomorrow, Alyssa thought as she closed her eyes, was the first day of vacation.

It wasn't long before Draco came in. He noticed Alyssa's form comfortably on the bed, and softly shut the door. He quickly got undressed and got into bed next to her. "You awake?" He asked softly.

"Yes." She answered. Draco got closer to her as she grabbed his hands and wrapped them around her. "How are you?" He asked.

"It's been one _hell _of a day."

"Tell me about it." He offered. Alyssa turned on her other side to face him. Her face was silhouetted by the moons light, but it shone over Draco's face completely. She smiled at the sight; he really was beautiful.

"Maybe tomorrow, I'm exhausted." She put a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

Draco gave a small smile and kissed her on the lips. "Goodnight, then."

"Night, Draco." She snuggled closer to him and he wrapped his arms possessively around her. It had barely been five minutes when they both fell asleep.

"So, why have I been summoned for this discussion?" She droned. It was _freezing _outside and she wanted nothing more than to get back in the castle.

"Well… I wanted to talk to you a-about Blaise."

"About Blaise?"

"Yes, about Blaise."

"What about him?"

She shifted her boots in the snow a bit before answering. "Well… you know, we've been dating a while… and…"

"Oh, get _on _with it!"

"Ugh! Fine!" She snapped stomping her foot into the snow. "It's just, we're getting into our – relationship, I guess – and I've – well, we've – been thinking about… y'know… taking it to the next level."

Alyssa stared at her a moment. "You mean… sex?" she asked rather matter-of-factly.

Ginny shifted in her boots once again, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Well… yeah."

"Well what do you want to know?"

"I dunno!" Ginny whipped her head around as a gust of wind rushed by. "But I need to talk to _someone _about this, and why not you?" Alyssa rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. You have the whole guy thing down to pat, and I don't know what to do about it."

Alyssa nodded and winced as another rush of cold air blew by. "Do you love him?"

"No. Well – I don't know – maybe." She scoffed. "But I do like him _a lot_. It's pretty serious; I do know I haven't felt this way before about anyone. But I don't think I'm in love with him just yet."

"Oh, if only Ron knew!" Alyssa said laughing.

Ginny turned scarlet. "No way! He needs to keep his ruddy nose out of my business. And besides – I've been friends with Blaise since last year. Hopefully he's not _too_ surprised by this." Ginny chuckled herself for a few moments before sobering up and continuing on with the conversation.

"So, what was your first time like?" She asked curiously.

Alyssa smiled in thought before answering. "Well it was with Jason, in case you didn't know that already. It was the summer before my second year at Beauxbatons, I was almost sixteen. It was like a mutual decision, y'know? We were both ready, we'd been foolin' around forever," She said with a laugh, "And it was perfect." She added.

Ginny smiled, "I take it this would be your first time?" Alyssa asked her. Ginny gave a mute nod.

"Well, the choice is yours. If you're ready and this is something you really want to do-"

"It is." Ginny said excitedly.

"Yea, yea, I know." Alyssa said rolling her eyes.

"Does it hurt?" Ginny asked innocently. This was one of Alyssa's most frequently asked questions.

"Well it didn't hurt for me. But it helps if you're not tense; if you're freaking out and tense about it you're bound to feel a bit uncomfortable. But if you just relax… it'll be just fine." Alyssa assured her.

Ginny nodded and kicked some specks of snow off her boot. She adjusted her coat as another wind passed through and pulled her hat farther down to cover her ears. "What's it like with Malfoy?" She asked curiously.

At first Alyssa looked astonished that she'd ever ask, but then the shock settled and she gave her a small smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked slyly. "But lemme tell you, I was glad I wasn't a virgin when I met him 'cause when I did I just wanted to rip his clothes off and pounce _right _-"

"Okay, I asked what it was like not for a bloody description."

Alyssa merely shrugged. "It's _fantastic_." She said enthusiastically, Ginny rolled her eyes. "And that body – WOO!" she continued.

Ginny held up her hands to make her stop, "All right, all right! I got it!" Alyssa threw her head back and let out a roar of laughter, holding her hands to her stomach. "Oh, Ginny." She moaned wrapping an arm around her shoulders and ruffling her hair. "You're like a lil' sis, you know that?"

"Thanks." She said sarcastically.

Alyssa nodded then gave her a tiny slap to the back of the head, "Now let's go, it's bloody freezing out here."

"Using our slang, are we?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. Alyssa simply shook her head and they both trudged through the snow and back to the castle. They stomped the clumps of snow off their boots as they stepped inside and entered the Great Hall.

Normally Hogwarts was practically empty during Christmas. But with the ball fast approaching, everyone fourth year and up had decided to stay. The tables in the Great Hall were about half their usual size, and during the day large fireplaces were lit by the staff table with couches surround them. Ginny and Alyssa sat down on one large couch and took off their jackets and boots. Almost instantly a House Elf popped by asking if they wanted anything, after receiving orders for two hot cocoa's, the elf popped away and back in record timing.

Ginny quickly gulped down her hot cocoa before getting up again. "Well, I must be going."

"What're you up to?" Alyssa asked curiously. She received a knowing glance and raised her brows, "Ah, hot date. Go on, then." Ginny gathered her things and with a wave departed form the Great Hall. Alyssa made herself more comfortable and pulled her legs underneath her. She wrapped her hands around her mug and took another sip of the cocoa.

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there until she felt a presence next to her. Turning her eyes and resting her eyes upon her neighbor she smiled to herself, "Another book, Hermione?"

Hermione huffed and wiggled into the cushion of her seat. "Yes. I thought I'd get a bit of light reading before dinner."

Alyssa looked over at the size of the book and rolled her eyes. It was barely a minute before a house elf arrived taking a guilty order of hot cocoa. Hermione was still wary about asking house elves to do things for her; Alyssa could barely stand the lecture.

"So how's everything going for the ball?" Alyssa asked curiously.

"Planning has been rather hectic. But everything is going to turn out perfect, I'm sure."

Alyssa nodded in agreement. "I can't wait to wear my dress." She said gleefully.

"I know me neither." Hermione spoke with her eyes still speeding along the lines of her book.

Alyssa picked her hot cocoa and took a few more sips. They fell into a comfortable silence as Alyssa sipped her cocoa and Hermione read her book. After a while Draco showed up by Alyssa's side. He bent into a squatting position so he could speak right to Alyssa's ear without being overheard.

"I've got to leave for a bit to take care of some things." He said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What things?" Alyssa asked suspiciously.

Draco's eyes glanced briefly at Hermione who quickly snapped her head back to her book. He let a tiny smirk show before continuing. "I'll tell you later, I should be back late tonight." Alyssa nodded as he stood up. He swooped forward briefly to kiss her forehead then left quickly with his cloak billowing behind him.

Alyssa looked back to the fireplace wondering what Draco could possibly be doing. He had only left the school once before, other then Hogsmeade, and returned in the middle of the night in a horrid mood from a meeting with Lucius. This night couldn't be much better.

Her thoughts were interrupted by two coughs from Hermione. She looked over at her and Hermione tried not to seem obviously interested. Alyssa rolled her eyes and ignored her.

Another few seconds and Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. Alyssa continued to ignore her before she finally spoke.

"Doesn't it seem strange that you're the only one he's ever gotten close to?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked turning her position.

"Well… it's just odd. He's never nice to anyone and here you come and he's all lovey-dovey."

Alyssa sighed, now frustrated, "What are you trying to say, Hermione?"

"I'm just saying that maybe you shouldn't trust him." She spat out quickly.

"Look, he may have given _you _reasons not to trust him, but he hasn't done that to me."

"But it just seems you barely know him, how could you trust him so easily?"

Alyssa scoffed, "If anyone of us doesn't know him, it's you. You don't know what his life is like or what he goes through, you just judge him because of childish mistakes." She snapped.

"Childish mistakes?" Hermione looked absolutely offended. "Calling me a Mudblood is a childish mistake? I think someone a little more than a child should know the gravity of saying something like that."

Alyssa faltered for a few seconds. "I can understand that he hurt you because of that. But _you _don't understand that he's been taught to act like that, to not accept others because of where they come from. You can't possibly tell me you don't know what Lucius is like."

"I do." She replied honestly.

"Then you should know that Draco wasn't born with that hatred. He was raised with it."

Hermione looked spent but wouldn't fall that easily. "But how do I know if I should believe you? You expect me to believe that Malfoy has actually _told _you all those things?"

"Some things, yes. But a lot I know from personal experience." Hermione seemed surprised so she continued. "I know Lucius personally because… my dad's a Death Eater. Before he left my family he was really good friends with Lucius so I know what he's like and I know that if anyone was living under his roof they'd act the way Draco does, too."

At this point Alyssa stood up and grabbed her jacket. She'd had enough of this conversation; she didn't need to justify the reason she was with Draco.

"I still don't trust him…" Hermione finally said. "And I don't think you should, either."

Alyssa stopped and narrowed her eyes. "I think I can make that decision myself." Hermione looked away and continued reading her book. Alyssa sighed and left the Great Hall and back to her dorm to take a shower.

Later that night, Alyssa was in Blaise's room with Ginny and a few others of his Slytherin friends. Draco still had not showed up from whatever it was he was doing; she was starting to get worried, even with the numerous shots that were being passed around the room.

"Does this happen often?" She asked Blaise.

He looked at her, confused. "Does what happen often?"

"Draco being summoned then disappearing for God knows how long."

Blaise hesitated before answering, "It's been happening since fifth year. He's not a Death Eater, but he may as well be with what he's been through."

Alyssa nodded. The bottle of vodka was then passed to her so she took a swig and passed it to Blaise. "I hope he's all right, though."

"Me, too." She swaggered a bit and Blaise grabbed her shoulder. "You all right there?" Alyssa nodded and looked at her watch, "Yea, but it's getting late. I think I'm gonna head in."

Blaise nodded and kissed her cheek as she stood up. "Good night." Alyssa walked over to Ginny and said she was going to bed, "Do you want me to walk you back?" Ginny asked.

"No, I'll be fine. See you tomorrow." They hugged before Alyssa left and walked into the hallway. She decided she'd head to the kitchens briefly for some hot cocoa before going to bed. It was a little past eleven o'clock, way past curfew. And if she was caught she'd be in big trouble. She walked down the dark, empty hallways trying to ignore the constant dizziness she felt.

Just as she was about to enter the portrait to the kitchens, a lit wand was cast upon her. She froze and slowly turned around.

"Ms. Bennington, what a pleasant surprise." It was the unforgettable drawl of professor Snape. "May I ask why you are out this late?"

"Uh…" _Shit! What if he can tell I've been drinking? I'm _so screwed!"Uh… I wasn't feeling well so I went to the kitchens."

"Does the kitchen carry any medicine?"

"Well… no, but I just need something to settle my stomach." Alyssa gave a weak smile and a nervous laugh escaped.

Snape's smirk grew wider for a moment but then it disappeared completely. "Come with me, Ms. Bennington."

He turned and headed the opposite direction. Alyssa winced and slapped herself on the forehead. For a few seconds she actually thought of making a run for it… but then decided that would make matters worse. She hadn't even realized where they were heading; all she could think about was how much trouble she'd be in. "I'm actually quite glad I've found you this way." Alyssa stopped dead short and practically choked. "This saves some trouble. I have something to show you." Now she was incredibly confused, _what the hell could he possibly show me?_

"I don't exactly follow, professor." She looked around herself and finally realized she was in the dungeons heading towards the potions classroom. "What is it you have to show me?" They approached the potions door and stopped outside of it. He paused and glanced at her, "I can only advise you not to get too worried about this, it's happened before and -"

"What's happened before?" She said exasperated.

She could have sworn he rolled his eyes before opening the door. Alyssa looked over his shoulder into the dim candlelit room; she couldn't see a thing. They walked further into the room and she finally saw what Snape wanted her to see. Draco was collapsed on the floor, a vial clutched in his hand that he had downed seconds earlier. His white button up shirt was dampened from sweat, and even in the dim lighting, Alyssa could tell he was whiter than a ghost. She quickly rushed to his side and knelt beside him, his eyes were barely opened and he was breathing heavily. She brushed his hair back from his forehead and looked up at Snape.

"What happened to him?"

Snape sighed before answering, "He was put under the Cruciatus curse for a rather long time, causing it to be more severe than usual."

"Than _usual? _You mean this happens regularly?" she received a nod, "Well why the hell doesn't anyone stop it?" She snapped.

"Speaking out of term is what got him in this situation in the first place. There would be worse consequences if one tried to stop the course of action."

"Who cares? Don't you realize what this could do to him? People have gone insane!"

At that point Draco finally made a sign of life, his head twitched to the left and he said, "I'm fine, honestly." Alyssa's head snapped back down to look at him. She stroked the side of his face gently, trying to comfort him. "I'm taking him to bed." She grabbed his hand tightly, "Can you move, Draco?"

"Yes, I said I'm bloody fine." He snapped, though he struggled with Alyssa's help to get off the floor. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders to support him. Snape stepped in front of them as they slowly made for an exit. He handed Alyssa a vial, like the one Draco was holding earlier. "Give this to him when you get there, it'll help the pain." Alyssa nodded and pocketed the vial before making her way out with Draco. It was taking so long to return to his room. It didn't help that Alyssa was losing her wits wondering what would happen if they just happened to come across someone.

"This is crazy. Y'know, I just lose my mind thinking about what the hell could possibly be going on that keeps you all day, then you just show up half dead from being tortured and I'm told that it's just no big deal and it's happened before! Like this is just some normal thing, well next time I'll just think to myself, 'Gee Alyssa, Draco could possibly be getting tortured at the moment but don't worry! It's no big deal, it's happened before! This is just a normal day's work!' Is that what you want me to think?"

Draco scoffed and snarled. "Could you please stuff it for thirty seconds? I have a throbbing headache and your continual nagging is driving me over the edge."

"Oh, _sorry. _You should be used to this by now so I'll just shut up." She didn't say another word till they reached his room. She helped him change and watched as he collapsed into bed, Alyssa felt like his mother having to tuck him in. She made him drink whatever was in the vial Snape gave him then went to her own room to change into some pajamas. When she returned she thought that Draco was fast asleep. He was silent and made no movement as she crawled in bed beside him. But when she settled herself in the covers and grabbed his hand he adjusted his arm so it was wrapped around her shoulders. She watched his chest rise and fall as he took deep even breaths. Alyssa realized that things were going from bad to worse, and things would go even more downhill before it got better. She didn't close her eyes till she knew he was sound asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **sorry it took so long to update! i was having major difficulty with getting this chapter down, then holidays started so it was all hectic! but here it is, and the next chapter will be out much more quickly! So here you go, and reviews please!


	12. Chapter 12

It was finally Christmas day. Students and teachers everywhere were in a great mood. No drama, no homework, no bad… anything. In fact, it was actually extremely quiet for Christmas. The hallways were empty. All students were in their respective common room, even Alyssa and Hermione were in the Gryffindor common room. Everyone was celebrating the morning together. They were spread throughout the common room opening presents from families and friends, drinking hot cocoa, and getting prepared for the Ball that would take place that night.

Alyssa sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. She was surrounded by Ginny, Harry, and Ron. Hermione was momentarily in the Great Hall with Draco helping set up decorations for the ball. They had been exchanging presents and chatting excessively since the early hours of the morning.

"Well here's the last of the presents!" Alyssa said handing them to Ginny and Ron. She had already given her presents to Hermione, Harry, and her brother Brad.

Ron quickly ripped open his present then jumped up excitedly. "Yes!" He exclaimed. He held up a very large box and showed what was inside. The box was filled with Chocolate Frogs. "Thanks!" He sat back down and helped himself to a frog.

Alyssa smiled and nodded her head. "I knew you'd appreciate those."

She leaned back and watched as Ginny opened her gift. This one took special care – she wanted to get Ginny a really great present. But she knew she'd love it, it took Alyssa some strain not keeping it herself.

Ginny took off the wrapping paper and flipped open the lid of a rectangular box. She gasped in awe, staring at it with total admiration.

"You like it?" Alyssa asked smirking.

"Like it? I LOVE it!" she held up the case so everyone could see it. Hanging on a long silver chain was a silver diamond shaped frame holding on to a bright ruby. From point to point it was one inch. And when Ginny put it on it fell just below her collar bone. "Thank you _so _much, Alyssa." She said standing up and reaching for a hug. "I absolutely love it!" Alyssa stood up as well and they hugged. "No problem, I knew you'd love it."

They sat back down and looked around as more people woke up and filled the common room. "Why don't you open your presents, Alyssa?" Harry asked. Alyssa looked at the small pile of wrapped presents from her friends and shook her head. "I'm going to open them later, before the ball. I have a few others I still have to open, too." They all nodded understandingly before Ron stood up and reached to a package next to him. "You at least have to open mine." He tossed the package over and it landed softly in her lap. Alyssa looked up at him curiously, and then ripped off the wrapping paper. She smiled and held up the sweater; it was a traditional Weasley sweater. On maroon the letter A was printed in gold. She held it up to her chest noticing it would probably fit perfectly.

"I told mum she should make you one of those. Seeing as you and Ginny have become like sisters… you're like family now." Alyssa smiled and nearly pounced on Ron, hugging him tightly around the neck. "This means so much, Ron. Thank you."

"Yeah… well, it was nothing really." He said a tinge of red rushing to his cheeks.

There was a comfortable moment of silence before Alyssa stood up. "Well I think I'll go shower. I'm on a strict schedule for getting ready!" Gathering her things she wished everyone a Merry Christmas, even though everyone replied 'Happy Christmas!' and Ginny said, "I'll come by your room later!" Alyssa nodded, waved and headed for the portrait making her way back to her room.

Her room was deserted as she predicted it would be. Hermione and Draco were still probably in the Great Hall. Alyssa got undressed and put on a bath robe then kicked open her trunk. On top of everything lay her dress, neatly folded with the accessories and shoes she'd be wearing. She placed those on top of her bed and hung up her dress in her closet. The dress was perfect; she'd tried it on the moment she got back from Hogsmeade, and it fit _perfectly. _

The door to the room opened. Alyssa turned to greet Hermione but was instead surprised to see Draco. She smiled, "Hey, I'm surprised to see you here." She quickly made over to him and gave him a hug.

"Merry Christmas." She said cheerfully, "Did you get my – hey! You're wearing my present!" Alyssa laughed and stepped back to admire him. For Christmas she had bought him a thick black cloak with silver lining and Slytherin green hemming, and a silver dragon printed on the chest. It fit perfectly around his broad shoulders and tall frame. The fabric was soft, yet heavy and warm. She was nervous buying it for him but realized it was probably one of the best and more appropriate things to get for Draco Malfoy.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

"I love it." He reached forward, snaking his hand around her neck and placing a sloppy kiss on her lips. He reached into his pocket and drew out a small box. "Happy Christmas." He murmured. Alyssa smiled and took the box from him. She took of the lid and scooped out a black velvet box. After popping it opened, two large, sparkling diamonds appeared sitting on a red surface. Alyssa gasped in awe; they were the most gorgeous piece of jewelry anyone had ever gotten her. She couldn't even stop staring at them and was silent for a few seconds. The light seemed to hit them perfectly, reflecting them in every direction.

Suddenly she snapped the box shut and punched Draco in the arm. "You big, jerk!"

"OW!" He bellowed. "Why do you always hit me?" He rubbed his arm with a scornful yet joking look on his face. "Don't you like them?"

"Of course I like them! They're absolutely beautiful…" She trailed opening the box back up and staring at them some more.

Draco stopped rubbing his arm and a large smirk plastered onto his face. He reached forward, snapping the case shut for her and pulled her close. "Thank you." She whispered. He nodded and softly caressed her face, placing another soft kiss to her lips. She reached up and balanced herself on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him harder, pushing all her weight against her. He stumbled back a bit but did not break their contact.

"Are you okay?" she asked tentatively. Ever since he'd returned from being tortured a few nights ago, he seemed to be a bit weak. He always looked tired and worn out, and wasn't as physically strong. Alyssa was always asking if he was all right; he still had not told her what really happened that night.

"Like the other thousand times, I'm fine." He said stubbornly. He ran a hand through his hair and sat at the edge of Alyssa's bed. She sighed, frustrated, and sat over next to him. "You always say you're fine, you're obviously not. I want to know what happened, why can't you tell me?"

"There are a lot of things I can't tell you."

If there was one thing she hated about Draco, it was his liking for short answers. Yes, no, I don't feel like it. It was so frustrating! He never told her anything yet she was always an opened book. She heaved another sigh and fell backwards onto her bed. "But you never tell me anything. All I know is what I guess, which isn't much. And then you come here all tortured and everything… it's just… I'm in the dark, y'know?"

"I know." There it was again. "It's hard; I … Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

Draco was hesitating, Alyssa could tell he was about to say something personal and could tell it was hard for him. He was an extremely closed off person. And when he did open up, it was very rare. Most of the things she knew about him were due to their odd family connection.

"For taking care of me when I got back… no one's ever done that for me."

Alyssa frowned, even if it was a compliment. "Really? Not even your mom?"

He shrugged and remained silent. She thought he was done speaking before he said, "She tried… when I was younger. When Snape said this wasn't anything new he meant it; this started when I was just a kid. She would try to help me, but that would mean crossing my father. And no one wants to do that, so she wouldn't. And I would just have to get better on my own. I guess that's why I'm always to myself; I've grown up that way…"

Draco sighed and dropped his face into his hands. "I'm sorry… I don't like talking about these kinds of things."

Alyssa sat up and touched his shoulder. "I like it. I like it that you feel you can talk to me about those kinds of things."

He looked at her, a small smile on his face and reached forward to kiss her hard on the lips. She leaned into him, her bath robe unknowingly slowly falling from her frame, and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Draco softly broke their contact and reached into her robe, she gasped as his cold hands touched her. A small smirk graced his features and he kissed her again, pushing her back onto the bed and laying on top of her. He kissed her deeply and hard, his touch becoming more feverish as he pushed her robe opened further.

Alyssa broke away, gasping for air. "Draco – we can't do this here…" She tried to ignore his persistent kisses on her neck, "This is Hermione's room, too."

At the sound of Hermione's name he lifted his head sharply and looked over at the other bed. His smirk grew larger, "We should shag in her bed."

Alyssa was floored, "DRACO! Oh my God, you're insane." She started laughing and was silenced by another kiss.

"This is wrong. This is disturbing! Why must you do that in here?!"

"See, I told you."

"You have a room _completely_ to yourself!"

Draco rolled off Alyssa and they both sat up, looking at an astonished Hermione with amused faces. "I told him not to." Alyssa said innocently.

Hermione stood there, her jaw dropped and her face bright red. "This is unbelievable!"

"Don't worry Hermione, he was just leaving." Alyssa said. She fastened her robe tight around her and gave Draco a sharp nudge.

"I was?"

"Yes, you were. Now go, I have to get ready."

"But the Ball's not for another few hours." Draco said stubbornly.

"Yes, but you know how I need to prepare… now go… and quit pouting!" Draco slowly stood up, cast another glance at Hermione and left the room.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Alyssa and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now was that necessary?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, we were just kissing. And besides, this was just one time, out of all the other times we've kissed." Hermione visibly gagged.

"So, _anyway_, I'm going to hit the showers. Strict schedule." Alyssa stood up and headed into the bathroom.

Everything was perfect. Everything matched; accessories, dress, and shoes. Her hair was _gorgeous_ and the makeup was good too. Alyssa looked at her reflection in the full length mirror and beamed. Her dress was a soft, lime green color. Thick straps held up the semi low cut bodice. The dress lay softly on her upper body, not too tight, and not too loose. The skirt of the dress fanned out in an airy fashion with two flowing silk layers, falling just below her knees. Around the bodice was a corset styled forest green ribbon that rapped from just below her breasts to right above her hips. The tail of the ribbon trailed down her backside and ended with the skirt. Her makeup was simple, and she kept it mainly earth tones. Brown sparkling eye shadow was brushed lightly on her eyelids with a thin stroke of black liquid liner. Her blush was a bronze color that shimmered in the light over her cheekbones, and it all ended with a cream colored lip gloss.

Her hair was pulled back straight and tight into a high ponytail held up by a matching forest green ribbon. The rest of her hair fell in thick wavy curls, falling to her mid-back. She wore Draco's diamond earrings, with her emerald ring that Brad gave her. And her shoes were the same color as the dress. The process took all afternoon, and the product was absolutely perfect. Alyssa gave one last smile to her reflection in the mirror ("Beautiful, my dear." It muttered), and walked out of the bathroom.

It seemed that at the same time everyone was done getting ready. Ginny entered the room, and Hermione turned from her mirror after finishing adjusting her necklace. They were all silent as they surveyed each other, they all looked beautiful.

Ginny had gone along with the idea of wearing a violet dress. It completely complimented her blood red hair. The violet dress had thick straps and a dip exposing the swell of her cleavage. The bodice was completely tight from her breasts to wrapping around over her hips, accentuating her slender figure. After her hips it flayed out around her thighs in different layers, ending just below her knees. Her feet were adorned with black strapped heels; she wore no jewelry and soft makeup that brought out her eyes and her high cheekbones.

Hermione wore a dark red dress that exposed a beautiful array of soft brown curls. The dress had thin spaghetti straps with a v-cut neckline, but didn't expose too much. The dress was thin and ended right at the knees. She also wore black heels, adorned with a tiny ankle bracelet. Her makeup was simple as usual, just a little bit of clear lip gloss and brown eye shadow.

"Wow…" they all whispered.

"We all look gorgeous."

"Absolutely beautiful." Ginny corrected.

"You both look amazing!" Hermione said with a bright smile on her face.

"Let's hope I get through the night in these shoes, though, eh?" Alyssa said sarcastically.

"Just wait till we see our boys."

"Who are you going with, Ginny?" Hermione asked. Ginny broke eye contact and tried to pretend she was occupied with her nails but Alyssa cut in laughing. "Blaise of course."

"Ron's going to have a fit!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes and walked over to her bed as Ginny and Hermione went back and forth over why Ron should keep his 'arse' out of other peoples business. She kicked open her trunk and pulled out a bottle of vodka that she nicked for the New Year's celebration. Grabbing that, and three shot glasses she sauntered her way over to Ginny and Hermione, holding it up with a smirk on her face. "How 'bout it girls? A little pre-gaming?"

Ginny eagerly grabbed a shot glass and made her way to the coffee table, but Hermione looked hesitant. Alyssa wagged the glass in her face smiling, "C'mon, you know you want to, and it's time for celebration!" Hermione finally rolled her eyes and grabbed the glass.

"Oh, fine. It does no harm."

"Yes! We're finally corrupting Hermione!" Alyssa said making her way over to the table. They sat on the floor around it, trying to find a comfortable position in their dresses. "This isn't the first time I've had a drink, you know." Hermione said skeptically. Alyssa flopped a dismissive hand, "Yeah, whatever." Alyssa poured them each a shot, they smiled at each other before downing it, shouting as it burned its way down their throat.

"Bloody hell," Hermione winced, "You two are totally bonkers."

Alyssa and Ginny looked at each other and burst out laughing. And even as Hermione still recovered she grabbed the bottle and poured them all another shot. They downed it, and shouted once again. They repeated this process another two times before actually getting up to leave.

"Are you coming, Alyssa?" Ginny asked as her and Hermione reached the door.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna put some stuff away first. I'll see you down in the Great Hall." They bid each other goodbye and Ginny and Hermione left the room. Alyssa got up and put the bottle of vodka back in her trunk. It really did give a nice perk. She put all her presents away before checking her makeup, making sure everything was perfect, and she finally headed out the door.

She walked down the hallway fidgeting with everything. Her dress, her jewelry, her shoes, the only thing she didn't mess with was her hair. She had actually made that _perfect_ and had no intention of making it otherwise. She finally reached the top of the main staircase which would take her to the Great Hall. Everyone was spread around at the bottom of it, meeting their dates, chatting with friends and celebrating Christmas. There was mistletoe spread around the ceiling that was bewitched so that if someone underneath it tried to run away, the mistletoe would follow them until they kissed. There were Christmas trees in each corner of the room, decorated to the fullest, and wreaths and lights were strung up around the walls.

Standing at the very bottom of the staircase was Ginny, Blaise and Draco. They were all chatting excessively but it seemed that once Alyssa looked at Draco he could tell she was there and looked up at her. He did a complete double take, his mouth opened a bit and his eyes opened a bit wider than usual. He literally lost his breath – she looked absolutely breathtaking. Draco was wearing black velvet robes with a white oxford shirt underneath and a black tie. Blaise was wearing… Draco looked absolutely gorgeous. There was no flaw, he looked perfect.

Alyssa beamed at him and slowly made her way down the stairs, concentrating carefully on every step so she wouldn't fall the rest of the way down. Blaise and Ginny both noticed she arrived, but seeing the look on her face as she and Draco watched each other meant that this was their time to leave. They gave an approving look before making their own way to the Great Hall.

Alyssa finally made it to Draco (no falling or harm done whatsoever). They both did a once-over on each other and smiled brightly at one another.

"You look… beautiful." Draco said softly, his silver eyes not leaving her face.

She was in a sort of dream state and took a second to answer, "So do you… in a manly way of course." She smiled like a goof and then mentally slapped herself. He noticed her shaking her head and smirked at her. She literally stumbled into his chest.

"Look at me like that again, and I won't last the night." Draco smiled and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded her head and they walked into the Great Hall. Alyssa gasped at the change in scenery. There were no longer any long tables for each house. Half of the hall was set up for small circle shaped tables where people sat with their friends to eat and talk. The other half was cleared off for people to dance. The hall was already packed with students and teachers. Most of them were dancing, but the feast was about to start so people were starting to sit down. The ceiling was charmed to look like it was snowing and fluffy snowflakes fell, from a clear black sky and vanished before they reached anyone's heads. One very large Christmas tree sat where the staff table was, and ornaments and tinsel were spread around the room.

"It looks gorgeous!" She said excitedly. She hadn't noticed that once she and Draco entered the room, many people turned to look at the both of them with jealous glares. But Alyssa didn't notice any of them, and quickly made her way to where Ginny and Blaise were standing. More students were filing in and chatter built up as girls talked excitedly over what they were wearing and what they got for Christmas. Although no one really liked each other, Hermione and Ron, and Harry and his date (who ended up being Audrey in Ginny's year), ended up sitting together. It was mostly because Alyssa, Ginny and Hermione were constantly chatting with each other and would not separate.

Harry eventually made his way to Alyssa and they hugged once again granting a Merry/Happy Christmas. "You look gorgeous!" He complimented, Audrey sent a menacing glare.

"Thanks! You look great, too, Harry. Oh and thank you so much for the present!" Before getting ready she had opened most of her presents, one being from Harry. It was a thick golden weaved bracelet with different colored gems spread around it. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah, no problem." He said grinning sheepishly at her.

When everyone finally arrived, it was announced that the feast would begin. All the students took seats at the tables and waited patiently for dinner. Ginny sat next to Alyssa and took a deep breath. "How is it that you and Brad have the best relationship ever, yet Ron and I argue every five seconds?" Ron was giving her issues about Blaise being her date.

"Lots and lots of fights, my friend. It also helps that my brother is much older, Ron still has to grow up."

Dinner was served on gold plates accompanied with gold silverware and goblets. And any food you could think of, Hogwarts was serving. Music played as students and teachers dug into their delicious meals.

Draco leaned into Alyssa and whispered, "Now why did they all decide to sit with us?"

"I actually have no idea. But try not to start anything." She said giving him a small smile. He rolled his eyes and continued to eat his dinner.

As people finished eating, their plates were cleared from the table. People crowded the dance floor and began dancing to the upbeat music. Hermione, much to Ron's protest, dragged him up to dance.

"So what did Blaise get you for Christmas?" Alyssa asked Ginny curiously.

Ginny shook her head, "I'm not sure yet, he said it was a surprise for after dinner."

Alyssa raised her eyes suggestively "Oh, really?"

Ginny laughed, "Yeah, who knows what that means. What did Draco get you?" Alyssa gestured by pointing her hand to her new diamond earrings, "They're incredible!" she complimented.

"Yeah I love them." She sat and bounced to the music then finally rolled her eyes, "C'mon, let's go dance!" She grabbed Ginny's hand and quickly made their way over to the floor, pushing through the crowd till they got to the middle. The song switched and they swayed their hips to the music, throwing their hands in the air. Ron got too embarrassed and ran away so Hermione joined them. More and more people got up from their seats and began to dance. Alyssa threw her arms up and kicked her legs out underneath her.

Audrey sat next to Harry at their table and started to get bored. Harry was still eating his food and once Ron came back they dug in for more. She rolled her eyes and slapped his arm, "How much are you going to eat?"

Harry looked up at her and started talking with his mouth full, no word could be understood so she gave up and left to go dance with some of her friends.

Ron looked as she left, "What's up with her?"

Harry swallowed down his food, "Who knows, she's an odd one." They looked at each other and shook their heads. On the opposite side of the table, Draco and Blaise sat watching their girlfriends dance.

"Why is it our girls are over there having fun, and us blokes are sitting here doing nothing?" Blaise asked.

"Dunno, mate. We've become escort services; we just sit here and watch them I guess." Draco replied. He looked around the room, surveying the place. "Oh look, they're serving drinks." He stood up and walked over to where a tray of champagne toasts were being served. He grabbed two glasses and walked back to his table as the song switched to a slow number. Blaise and Harry were gone, leaving Ron still eating food.

"Great." He grumbled downing the first toast. He sat at the edge of the table and looked for Alys– he nearly choked on his drink. Harry Potter himself had the _nerve _of dancing with _his _Alyssa! "Oh sod it all."

Draco weighed his options. He could either be a complete dick and march over there, fists blazing, or he could be a gentleman and let him have ONE dance. He realized that if he did go over there and shout his words at Harry, Alyssa would get angry with him and spend even more unnecessary time with Potter. That wouldn't be good at all. So he chose to be the gentleman, but ONLY for one dance. He gulped down his second drink, took off his cloak and continued to watch them.

"You know, you really look beautiful, Alyssa." Harry complimented.

Alyssa beamed, "Aw, thanks Harry." She held her hands together around his neck and looked over his shoulder. Blaise and Ginny were a few feet away from them. They made quite a charming couple. They even looked… in love. Her eyes moved around the room and finally stopped on Draco. She chuckled to herself as she noticed his dark glare piercing through Harry's back. He really was the possessive type.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked.

"Draco is watching us. If looks could kill, you'd be long gone, Harry."

He laughed, too. "I'm dancing with his girl."

Alyssa nodded, smiling. "Here, take a step closer to me." He did as she told and she laughed once again. "I can see his knuckles turning white from here." Harry chuckled softly. "He's quite the jealous type." She pondered as the song came to an end, another slow song picked up.

"He has reason to be."

Alyssa stopped moving and looked at Harry's face. He was looking down at her with a ratherserious expression on his face. "Harry, I -"

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around and looked at Draco.

"Mind if I cut in?" Harry shook his head and stepped away saying how he had to find his actual date anyway. Draco swiftly took his position. He wrapped his arm around Alyssa's waist and took her hand in his and she laid her free hand on his shoulder. A new slow song started and they danced together slowly. "I could see you having a fit over there while me and Harry were dancing."

"He can barely keep his hands off you." He said calmly, possessively pulling her closer.

Alyssa sighed and rested her head on his chest, "He's got nothing on you, Draco." She felt him relax and closed her eyes. He did the same, resting his chin on the top of her head. Many pairs of eyes were watching them closely, both students and teachers. No one had seen the affectionate side of Draco Malfoy, as he danced closely entwined with Alyssa. And while thinking how _completely _out of character it was, they also thought it was… nice. And that Alyssa may be truly having an affect on him. She was softening his tough exterior.

A note changed in the song, he pushed her out from him and spun her back towards his chest. She laughed, "You've got some skill dancing, then?"

"Of course, I'm a Malfoy." Draco replied simply.

Alyssa rolled her eyes, some things never changed. That was not all, though. As the last note was strung out, he put his arms around her waist and gracefully dipped her. Her heart fluttered as she fell slowly towards the floor, so low that the end of her ponytail grazed the floor. Draco braced her and pulled her back up, and she stood with a dazed look upon her face, like she had been literally swept off her feet. She laughed and kissed his cheek and practically skipped over to grab a toast of champagne. She met Hermione on the way who was also getting a toast.

"Hey, Hermione. Having fun?"

"Of course, it's great." She said beaming.

Alyssa raised her glass, "Cheers!" she said before taking a sip. "How's your lovely date?"

"Oh, he's good; I finally got him to stop eating!" Hermione replied exasperatedly. Alyssa laughed as she continued, "And he just danced which is a _huge_ accomplishment – he never dances…" She lowered her voice as she added, "He's rubbish."

Alyssa chuckled and for some reason she was getting a vibe that Hermione was a little drunk. Hermione stopped laughing and said, "What about you? How's Malfoy?" Alyssa let her eyes roam until the fell on Draco who was now talking with Blaise.

"He's quite the dancing partner, actually… Oh, and sorry about earlier! I didn't mean for you to see anything like that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I guess that was light though, considering you were only snogging. When I'm sure you two shag all the time!"

Now Alyssa was sure Hermione was drunk. She laughed softly and said, "Not _all _the time!" She said sarcastically. "And besides, it's not just _shagging_." Hermione raised an inquisitive brow. "I'm serious!" Alyssa persisted. "It's like… more than that, y'know?" Hermione still had her eyebrow raised and shook her head. Alyssa sighed.

"Oh, never mind."

"No, I want to know!" Hermione urged, "You never know, this may be advice for me… when I start… y'know… with Ron." Alyssa rolled her eyes and tried very hard to contain her laughter. But she decided to humor her.

"Well, it's kinda like… taking comfort in someone you know? You can't really express your emotions by talking about it… so you do it in a physical way." Hermione nodded understandingly, "So, like, Draco doesn't really talk about his emotions… so he expresses them in a physical way."

Hermione's mouth dropped open, "Oh Merlin… that is _so gross!_"

Alyssa rolled her eyes and turned from Hermione but she grabbed her back, "No, no… the whole sleeping with Malfoy part. Not the whole 'taking comfort' thing, though. That I understand."

"Right… I'm just gonna take _that _from you." She said grabbing Hermione's glass of champagne. "Nice talking to you, Hermione."

Alyssa walked away from her, finishing Hermione's glass. She walked past Ron, mentioning to him how he should probably take Hermione back to her room soon. She was a bit of a lightweight. Her eyes scanned the hall; happy couples were dancing on the floor, and friends spoke brightly to each other about the happy day's events. Her eyes finally rested on a man standing, talking with professor McGonagall. He was extremely tall, and was wearing a jet black tuxedo. His hair was as usual messy, but he looked strikingly handsome. Alyssa beamed and practically ran to meet her brother, Brad.

Brad greeted her with a warm hug as she squealed his name. "Hey, lil' sis, Merry Christmas!"

"Yea, you too! You look _handsome_." She complimented.

He showed a smug smile and ran his hand down his chest, "I try, I try." He laughed and adjusted his jacket. "You don't look too bad, yourself." He said beaming.

"Yeah, thanks. When did you get here? I didn't think you'd show."

"I was here before you were. I've just been in the background, with a watchful eye though." He said giving her a skeptical look. "I just saw you and Draco giving a nice show."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow, "Yea, he's a good dancer. Oh and look at these earrings he got me." She said gesturing to her ears.

"Very nice, very nice." He complimented. "Shouldn't expect anything less from a Malfoy."

"Brad… Don't."

"I wasn't gonna say anything… just hoping he's taking care of my sister." He then eyed her champagne glass, "Speaking of taking care of…" He grabbed the glass from her and finished it.

"Hey! What're you doing?"

"You're completely underage, you shouldn't be drinking." He said sarcastically.

"Well they're supposed to be toasts."

"Yea, yea, yea. Oh and speak of the devil – here he comes." Brad nodded his head to the direction behind her. Alyssa turned around and saw Ginny followed closely by Draco walking towards her. "Which means this is my time to depart."

"Are you gonna be sticking around for a few days? Or are you disappearing back to wherever it is you came from?"

"I'll be around." He said with a smirk. He turned and slowly walked away.

Alyssa turned around just as Ginny and Draco approached her. "They're taking pictures outside!" Ginny said excitedly. "You should come with us." She turned away motioning for her to follow. Alyssa looked at Draco, he shrugged, she grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek. "C'mon, then." They, along with others, made there way outside where the pictures were being taken. Colin Creevey and a few of his friends were the ones taking pictures in front of the tree beside the currently frozen lake. Everyone simultaneously cast heating charms on themselves as they waited for their picture to be taken.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked, meaning about the cold.

"Yep, I'm fine." She replied grasping his hand. One by one each couple got their pictures taken. It was almost Alyssa and Draco's turn; Ginny and Blaise were now getting their picture taken. "Aw," Alyssa gushed, "Don't they look so cute?" They stood closely entwined; Ginny was grabbing the front of his robes with a feverish smile on her face, and he stood tall with a smug smirk.

"Absolutely dashing, love." Draco drawled. Alyssa looked up at him; it was the first time he ever called her 'love'. And she really liked the sound of it. Now it was their turn, they stood before the frozen lake and on the side of the snow covered tree. The sky was jet black. Alyssa wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and he wrapped his around her waist. And just as Colin said "Smile!" large snowflakes fell from the sky. Her arms dropped so her hands were against his chest and they both looked up at the sky as the snowflakes fell around them. A flashing light indicated that Colin had taken the picture.

Alyssa whipped her head around, "Hey! We weren't even looking!"

"Fine, fine, I'll take another one, no worries." He replied. They resumed their original position, smiled brightly, and Colin took the picture. "Next!" He shouted, and they walked away meeting Ginny and Blaise on the side.

"Oh, that looked so romantic!" Ginny said clapping her hands together. "The snow falling around you both!" Alyssa and Draco looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"I think it's about time we head in." Alyssa suggested. They all agreed and headed back inside and to the Head Boy and Girl common room. They were not the only ones; most of the students who now had their share of dancing and food were starting to head up to their dormitories. Once they reached the common room, Alyssa kicked off her shoes and went to go put them away in her room. But she opened the door and burst out laughing, "Guys! You'll never guess what's in my room!"

"Oh, shut up!" Ron shouted.

"Hermione is so drunk!"

"Granger's trashed? Give her more! Give her more!" Draco shouted.

"There'll be none of that, ferret!"

"Hermione's really drunk? Let me see!" Ginny popped her head in the door way. Hermione was nearly passed out on the floor; her hair which used to be smooth and neat was now completely fuzzy and was spread on the floor around her head. Ron and Harry were both kneeling over her making sure she was okay.

"Ron, did you make her stop when I told you too?" Alyssa asked.

He blushed furiously. "Well… I thought you'd been exaggerating. Hermione barely ever drinks, and well… she said she'd only had two glasses!" Alyssa slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Just give her water. It'll make her feel loads better."

"Yea, thanks for the – GET OUT, FERRET!" Alyssa turned her head to see Draco peeking in and having a laugh at Hermione. "We'll just be out of your way, then." Alyssa said shoving everyone out of the room.

"I never thought I'd see the day." Ginny said. Draco was hardly containing himself.

Alyssa rolled her eyes, "I have to pee." She walked through Draco's door and shut it behind her.

There was a moment of silence, then "Right, I have to put away my robes." Draco mumbled and followed suit.

Ginny and Blaise stood staring at the door, "How long do you think it'll be before they come back out?" Ginny asked. Blaise shrugged and sat down in front of the blazing fireplace. He patted the spot next to him looking at Ginny so she made her way over and sat down. "Who cares, anyway?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. Ginny smiled and nestled snuggly into the crook of his neck.

Draco shut the door behind him and was then pulled further into the room by a giggling Alyssa. He smirked tossing his robes onto the bed, and sharply pulled Alyssa to him crushing his lips on hers in a forceful kiss. From the moment he saw her descend the staircase in the Great Hall, Draco found it unbearably difficult to contain himself; he nearly took her right then and there. Truth be told he'd never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. And that scared the wits out of him.

But currently, he was thinking of other matters. Like the way Alyssa's body felt when she was pressed up against him so tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laced her fingers through his hair. She could feel her lips bruise from the pressure of his own, moving her hand to the side of his face, she deepened the kiss. She actually smiled against his lips thinking of how she could actually reach him in her heals, instead of having to practically jump up.

Draco broke away for a moment, much to her displeasure. His hands roamed down her legs until they reached the hems of her dress and slowly pushed it up her thighs. Once the skirt was out of the way he grabbed the backs of her thighs and lifted her up, fastening her legs around his waist. He walked them over towards the bed where he dropped her on the bed and undid his tie. He threw it to the floor and climbed on top of a patiently waiting Alyssa. Draco paused, running a hand down the side of her face and mesmerizing how the way she looked; her lips swollen, and her violet eyes staring into his. He gave her a brief smile before kissing her lips, down her jaw and to her neck.

Alyssa sighed, her arms were draped over his shoulders and she could feel his muscles ripple underneath his shirt. She arched her back as his arm wound around her back and moved to the zipper of her dress. She remained still in anticipation but suddenly he struggled.

"Is Draco Malfoy actually having trouble with a little zipper?" She teased.

Draco rolled his eyes, "It's not me; the zipper is stuck."

"The zipper is stuck?!"

He sighed, "The zipper is stuck." She moaned in frustration and tried twisting her arm behind her to reach the zipper. Draco slapped at her hand, "Stop, stop, you're only going to dislocate your shoulder." He rolled off her and flipped her over so she was lying on her stomach. He got a tight grip on the zipper and pulled, but the damned thing would not budge.

"This is ridiculous." He scoffed, "How much did you pay for this?"

"Oh shut up… and stop pulling so hard! You're gonna rip it!"

"I am not going to rip it." He snarled. "I'm perfectly capable of unzipping a dress."

"Draco, I swear I will KILL you if you rip this!"

"I'm not going to rip it!" He pulled harder.

"Draco! Stop!"

Blaise and Ginny looked at the door. "You think they'd at least keep it quiet!" Blaise scoffed.

Ginny raised an eyebrow as they both could hear muffled shouts through the door. She suddenly jumped as there was a loud thud. Then the door burst opened, Alyssa ran through the door, wearing nothing but underwear and her dress clutched in her arm. She sprinted to her own room and shoved open the door.

"What the _bloody_ hell is going on?!" Ron shouted.

Alyssa sprinted back through the door, still in underwear, no dress in hand, and ran back into Draco's room slamming the door behind her.

They looked back at each other once again, "They've lost it." Ginny commented.

**A/N: **this chapter is a bit happy go lucky, but hey, its Christmas! The next chapter will be up in a bit, it'll be a lot more tense then its beeeeenn!

reviews please!!


	13. Chapter 13

Before it was even time for dinner, news was soaring around Hogwarts that Alyssa Bennington and Draco Malfoy had broken up. According to rumors, Alyssa was seen dashing out of their dormitory in tears and hardly holding herself together. She was last seen in the library crying into the shoulder of a comforting Ginny Weasley. Draco was last seen stalking up and down the hallways, cursing or taking off points from any student that walked by. These rumors, of course, found their way to Alyssa while she was heading to the Great Hall for dinner. At least twelve people ran up to her asking questions about what had happened, who dumped who, who got hit, and who's the father. Yes, there were even rumors of pregnancy.

She rolled her eyes to all of them and didn't answer anyone. There was no point of even speaking up for yourself in these kinds of situations, words would just be tossed around and turned into more absurd rumors. The only thing you could do was take a vow of silence. Alyssa sat down with Ginny at the Gryffindor table. Many people stared as she passed and turned to their stupid little friends to whisper stupid little secrets.

"Maybe I made the wrong decision." Alyssa muttered to Ginny. Truth be told, there was an argument, but there was no initial 'I think we should break up.' It was more of a 'then maybe we shouldn't be together.' And it especially wasn't as dramatic as people were making it out to be.

Ginny shook her head, "You'll just have to see how things turn out."

"I'm just glad we got here early, and can leave early." Alyssa said helping herself to some food. Before she got her first forkful in her mouth, Lavender Brown came sliding next to her on the bench.

"So, Alyssa, I heard -"

Alyssa slammed down her fork, clenched her eyes shut and shouted to anyone who was listening, "If someone else asks me if we broke up, I will RIP your FACE OFF!" she took a few calming breaths as Lavender slid back away from her, and the surrounding students turned away.

"Well, that was a way to get the attention off of you." Ginny said sarcastically. Alyssa glared at her and pushed her plate away.

"I'm not hungry anymore. I'm taking a nap." She stood up from her seat and quickly left the Great Hall and immediately walked into someone. "Oh, does this NEVER END?" She shouted frustrated. She looked up to see Draco staring at her as if she'd lost her mind. "WHAT?"

But she wasn't the only one who was frustrated, "I didn't even SAY ANYTHING!" Draco shouted at her. They both scoffed at each other and took off in opposite directions.

Alyssa finally made it to her room, slammed the door shut and flopped onto her bed with a deep sigh. It was still early in the evening but she felt as if she'd run a marathon. How could people find out about their argument so quickly? It's not like they were in a public area, they were in Draco's room. And she certainly did not go running crying to Ginny. There weren't even any tears. It was completely ridiculous. This day was surely never going to end. Alyssa's eyelids slowly began to droop until she could hold them opened no longer. She fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of the days events.

_Alyssa sat at the bed resting her chin in her palm. Draco paced back and forth in front of her continually running his hand through his blonde hair. Alyssa sighed and dropped her hands to her sides and Draco stopped pacing to stand in front of her._

"_So are you gonna tell me what happened?" Alyssa pried. He had just came back from yet another meeting with Lucius, he wasn't beaten like last time but he was as pale as a ghost and looked like he was about to throw up._

_He sighed and averted his eyes, "You know I can't do that."_

_Alyssa slapped her hands in her lap and scoffed, "I honestly can't believe you. I'm not asking you to tell me your father's deepest darkest secrets to take over the world or something; I just would like to know what you're going through."_

_Draco took a seat next to her. He dropped his head and spoke softly, "I'd like to, it's just that it's hard for me to do that, can't you understand that?"_

"_I understood it for the first few months; I'm getting a bit tired of trying to _understand_ it." Alyssa stood up and put her hands on her hips. "I don't _understand _the point of being your girlfriend. All we do is fuck around, you obviously don't need me." _

_Draco's head snapped up to look at her and she instantly regretted her words. They kind of just slipped out before she could stop herself. He dropped his head again and muttered something incoherent._

"_What?"_

"_You know I need you." He said softly. She was floored. Out of all the things he could've said she probably expected that the least. _

"_Well it doesn't seem that way."_

"_I don't know what I'm supposed to do." He said frustrated._

"_Just talk to me!"_

_In an instant he was standing up right in front of her, _"_I can't! It's not that simple!"_

_Alyssa sighed and nodded her head. "Well then maybe we shouldn't be -"_

Suddenly Alyssa was roughly shaken awake.

"What the hell?" She demanded groggily as someone repeatedly slapped her cheek.

"Alyssa! Wake up!" Her eyes flew opened and she grabbed the hands that continued to smack her. Hermione was staring back at her, red in the face and breathing heavy as if she just sprinted the entire way there from wherever the hell it was she came from.

"What the HELL is going on?"

"You have to come with me! There's a huge fight!"

"And what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Just come _on_!" Hermione grabbed Alyssa by the wrist and yanked her out of bed. Alyssa tried hard to keep up, she could barely even see straight after just waking up. She wondered what could have _possibly_ gone wrong that needed her immediate attention. They sped past different hallways, Hermione dragging Alyssa along by her wrist. When they finally started to slow down Alyssa looked up to see a huge crowd of students. No teachers were present so it couldn't have been that serious.

Hermione let her go and ushered her forward. There were many shouting voices throughout the crowd but the two voices she could hear clearly belonged to Draco and Ron. Instantly she knew why she was brought there – she was supposed to stop it. Alyssa shoved her way through the crowd and when she got to the front was standing alongside Blaise. She glanced at Draco, his face was contorted with anger; she'd never seen him so furious.

"What's going on?"

Blaise looked away from the fight briefly to look at her. "I'm not exactly sure, I was just in the bathroom and came out and they were screaming at each other."

"Has it gotten physical -?" She was cut off as Blaise's head snapped the other way. Alyssa looked up as well to see Ron shove Draco in the chest. "Bad move." She muttered, Draco's temper was one thing, but getting physical with him wasn't something people should want to test. She watched as Draco took a calming breath and turned to walk away.

"Yeah, that's right!" Ron said stupidly, getting too cocky thinking he actually drove him away, "Walk away; you're nothing but a pathetic Death Eater!"

Draco stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to look over his shoulder at Ron as if contemplating something and whatever it was he made his decision, he took two large steps forward, drew his arm back and slammed his fist into Ron's cheek.

The crowd was silenced and gasps could be heard as Ron stumbled back. Harry dove forward but Draco quickly threw him off and continued to walk towards Ron. He brought his fist back again and swung a punch in the same spot, sending Ron straight to the floor. He walked to where Ron was slumped on the ground and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, he drew his arm back once more and even the people who were watching winced and closed their eyes as he punched Ron again.

Blaise left Alyssa's side and ran to Draco to try and stop him. She looked up and saw a horrified looking Ginny watching as her brother got pummeled. Harry got off the ground and tried to restrain Draco alongside Blaise. They both pulled him back about two feet before Draco shoved Blaise backwards and with his free hand punched Harry in the stomach. Harry doubled over letting go of Draco, who got up and threw another fist at Ron's eye as he tried to get up.

"Someone get Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione ordered. A second year student standing next to her took off down the hallway.

Ginny ran forward to help Harry up. As soon as he was standing he went to try to stop Draco but Ginny stopped him.

"I have to help him!" He protested.

"I think that'd be a rather lost cause." Alyssa said. They whipped their heads around to look at her completely astonished. "What?" She asked. She jutted her hands forward motioning to Ron who was still getting repeatedly hit in the face.

Alyssa finally decided to do something, considering everyone else who tried to stop him would end up getting hit; she thought she might give it a shot. She pushed a few students out of her way and ran forward, bending over she grabbed Draco by the shoulders. She wasn't surprised when he ended up not even looking to see who it was and shoved her backwards. She fell to the floor and everyone watching took a sharp inward breath, some girls even screamed.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered. Her spine started to hurt after landing on the stone floor. She pushed herself off the floor and with much more strength hooked her arms underneath his and threw her whole body backwards, sending her flying to the ground with Draco on top of her.

"Oh!" She cried out as her back slammed against the ground. Harry and Hermione ran forward to help Ron stand up. Alyssa cringed at the sight of him, his eye was swollen shut and half of his face was covered in blood.

Harry looked back and forth between Ron and Draco, "What the hell is wrong with you, Malfoy?"

"Teacher's coming!" someone shouted. Students started darting around trying to leave the scene before anyone showed up.

"Just get him out of here!" Alyssa shouted.

Without saying any more, Harry and Hermione dragged him away. Alyssa was about to breathe a sigh of relief before Draco started writhing around, "Get. Off. Me." He said his voice deep and wavering. Alyssa dropped her arms and without helping her up Draco stood and walked away.

Alyssa slowly pushed herself up off the ground, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her back. She looked at Draco's retreating back, his cloak billowing around him.

"Draco, wait up!" Alyssa shouted, but he ignored her and walked on. She nearly had to sprint to catch up to him and just as she reached her hand out to his shoulder she was knocked to the side and fell against the wall. She grunted as she shoved herself into a standing position; how was it that she wasn't even involved in the fight yet she kept getting hurt?

"What the _bloody_ hell did you think you were doing, Malfoy!" Ginny shrieked. She looked as white as a ghost and was trembling. "Have you completely lost your mind?" she was jogging at Draco's side to keep up with him.

He stopped and turned to face her, "SOD OFF!" he roared directly in her face.

She paused for only a moment as he took off again.

"No I will not _sod off_. I want to know what the HELL you were thinking pulling that off! Do you even realize what kind of damage you could've done to my brother?" she jabbed her finger into his shoulder at every other word as if to emphasize her point, which seemed to piss Draco off even further.

He snatched her wrist in his hand, "Don't touch me." He warned.

Ginny shook her arm to get her hand free, "Get your hand off me, Malfoy!" she snapped. He rolled his eyes and dropped her hand and continued to walk on.

"Draco, wait up!" Alyssa shouted.

"What the fuck is his problem, anyway?"

"I think that's a rather stupid question."

"Oh, so it's my brother's fault that he just got the wits beaten out of him?"

"I doubt he had much wit to begin with." Ginny gaped at her, "I'm kidding! And no, it's both their faults." She shouted as she took off down the hallway behind Draco.

When she finally arrived at Draco's room, Alyssa was panting with a stitch in her side. She stood by the door listening for any signs of life. She was sort of expecting him to be throwing furniture around already popping open a bottle of whiskey – but all was silent.

Hesitantly, she opened the door. Draco stood on the opposite side of the room, his back facing her gazing out the window. She shut the door softly behind her glancing around the room – there was no sign of whiskey. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and put her words together correctly.

"Are you okay?" Stupid question; he didn't even bother to answer.

"Okay… do you think you may have overreacted just a bit?"

Draco turned around and looked at her. "I've been accused of being a Death Eater by that stupid trio for as long as I can remember. I'm not sorry for what I did." He sighed slumping his shoulders and sat down at the edge of his bed and pressed his face to his hands.

Alyssa sat down next to him. She noticed his right hand was swollen, bruised and bleeding. She took his hand in hers and held it gently, he winced.

"Does it hurt?" he nodded.

"You'll have to get it checked out. You could've broken your hand."

"I doubt Pomfrey will give anything to me." He muttered.

Alyssa shrugged, "I could steal some from her, no big deal." She ran a finger down his knuckles causing him to wince once more. She'd finally come to a conclusion at that moment, holding his probably broken hand in hers. The initial reason she even thought about breaking up with him was because all she did was worry about him. But even if she and Draco were broken up, she'd still care about him – would still worry about him.

She patted his shoulder with her free hand. "I think you need some rest." He shrugged, "C'mon, Draco." He looked up at her as if contemplating if he should or not. And eventually he decided he needed some rest, he pushed himself up to his pillows and curled up on his side.

Alyssa took off her cloak and crawled up next to him. She rested with his back against her chest and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Eventually he shifted his position and turned over so that his head was resting on her chest and his damaged hand was on her stomach. She gave him a soft kiss on his head, and only after she could tell he was sleeping did she close her eyes.

Alyssa woke up the next day just as the sun was starting to rise. Draco was still sleeping silently, his swollen hand resting on the sheets at his side. She sat up slowly, as so not to wake him, and walked into the bathroom. She was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday; her shirt was wrinkled and pressed into her skin causing lines to appear across her arms. She quickly washed her face and grabbed her cloak on the way out of Draco's bedroom.

She walked through the empty and cold hallways to the kitchens. No one was up yet considering it was still the weekend.

"Alyssa?"

She stopped and turned to look at the owner of the voice calling her name. It was Harry. He looked extremely tired and was still in his pajamas and robe. His dark hair was a complete mess and was sticking up in every direction.

"Hey, Harry. What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." He murmured groggily, catching up to walk with her. "You?"

"Same, I was just gonna get some hot chocolate from the kitchens."

"Yeah, me too." They walked silently down the hall together until they reached the portrait of fruit. Harry reached out his hand to tickle the pear and the portrait slowly creaked opened. They walked through the short pathway before they were greeted with a house elf. They asked for two hot chocolates and sat down at a too short coffee table, one that was probably meant for a house elf.

"So how's Ron?" Alyssa asked hesitantly.

Harry shook his head, "You saw what happened."

"Well… was there anything more damaging then some bruises."

He took a moment before replying as there hot chocolates arrived. He blew on it and took a small sip before speaking. "He broke his left cheek bone."

Alyssa winced as she took a sip from her own hot chocolate, and not because it was hot. "Is he going to be all right?"

"He'll be fine. He spent the night in the hospital wing and received the necessary treatment." He looked up at her before continuing. "We convinced him to say he fell down a flight of stairs."

"Are you serious? I thought he'd rat Draco out right away."

"Yeah, well, I must've been in shock at the time because now that I think of it I probably wouldn't have said anything."

"Oh…" Alyssa looked down at her mug and took another sip.

She began wondering if Draco was still asleep. She was beginning to miss his ongoing presence at her side already and they'd only been apart minutes. She laughed to herself slightly causing Harry to glance up at her again.

"What?"

Her smile faltered and she shook her head. "It's nothing." It was funny to her how yesterday she had actually contemplated breaking up with Draco when she could barely spend a waking moment without him.

_Maybe he does need me. _

She had been trying to convince herself of that but still wasn't quite so sure.

"Harry?" She called beckoning for his attention. "With all that you've been through, have you told Hermione and Ron everything about it, since they're your best friends?"

Harry shook his head without a moment's hesitation. "No, there've been loads of times where I've kept everything from them." He noticed her questioning look and continued. "It's not like they don't understand… well, a lot of times they don't, but with some things I just don't want to worry them, I don't want to be a burden."

"But you still need them, right?"

"Of course." He said eagerly, "Even though I don't tell them certain things, it's good to know that they'll always be there for me when I'm ready to talk."

Alyssa nodded in agreement. Maybe that's what she was like to Draco. Even though he kept things from her, she'd still always be there for him. And whenever he was ready to talk she'd listen. Harry spoke her name getting her attention.

"I have a feeling that there's something you're trying to get at." He said softly. Alyssa shrugged, already knowing that Harry would never want to hear about what she had to say bout her and Draco's relationship. "Is it about Draco?"

She raised her head hesitantly to look at Harry's questioning eyes. He nodded knowing that that's exactly what she was thinking of.

"You're afraid he doesn't need you." She gave him a brief nod and he sat up straighter, rubbing the palms of his hands against his knees. "Well, after knowing Malfoy for about seven years, I've never seen him with a girlfriend. Or at least one that lasted over a week. So even though I haven't personally asked the bloke, I'm pretty sure he needs you if he's decided to stay with you this long."

Alyssa laughed as she finished her mug of hot chocolate. "I'm not sure if I should be saying thanks or not." Harry shrugged and gave her a small smile.

She pushed her mug away from her and rose from her seat. "Well, I think I'm going to take a walk or something. I'll see you later." He nodded and she left the kitchens.

Mostly she just wanted to get outside for some time to think. There was so much on her mind now it was almost becoming overwhelming.

For one thing, there was her father. He hadn't made any moves in a while now and she was positive that something was cooking up by now. At first she'd been relieved that there weren't anymore attempts at attacking her, but now she was just anxious. Her brother Brad was constantly trying to keep her on her toes so that she'd be able to protect herself if she needed to, but now all that was doing was making her nervous. Her concentration was breaking and it was becoming harder and harder to control her powers.

With all that put aside, there was Draco.

She'd never been more confused about a relationship before. She'd never even felt so strongly for someone before. Being with Draco had turned into one of the things that she wanted most during her time at Hogwarts.

Alyssa walked outside and sat down on a bench that was grazing underneath a large tree. The sun had fully risen now and cast a bright warm glow over the castle.

With all the complications that were arising she wasn't sure if this was the kind of relationship she wanted. Obviously the sex was great, there were no complaints there. But she wasn't sure if it was just that – sex. Personally, she had felt a connection. There was a longing that she had for him that wasn't just physical, and she wasn't sure if that was the way he felt about her.

She took a deep breath and sighed as a cool breeze passed by her. As hesitant as she was about it, she knew what she had to do.

She had to talk to Draco.

_Really_ talk to him.


	14. Chapter 14

When it was at least a decent hour, Alyssa made her way to the hospital wing to visit Ron. She briefly checked up on Draco and he was still sound asleep. He must've been completely wiped out from the whole ordeal the previous evening so she left him alone, not wanting to bother him.

She'd decided to visit Ron not only to see how he was doing, but to make sure they were still friends. She didn't want him thinking that just because she and Draco were together that she'd automatically take Draco's side. Alyssa knew what he did was wrong and being involved with him wasn't going to change that.

She glanced through the wing, noticing thankfully that madam Pomfrey wasn't to be seen. Alyssa was really in no mood to be pestered by the crazed woman. She walked down the room glancing in the few beds that were occupied. It wasn't hard to find Ron; his red hair gave him away in almost an instant. To Alyssa's surprise he was awake. He was sitting up in bed propped up by a few pillows and was reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

As she cautiously approached his bed he looked up at her. He sighed as he closed up the paper and crossed his arms. She stood at the side of his bed and nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Hi." He said quietly. She looked up from the floor startled that he was actually the one to start approach a conversation.

"Hey… how are you feeling?" She asked. She observed his face noticing that the swelling of his eye had gone down and there were few light bruises across his cheekbone.

"I've been better."

Alyssa nodded and shifted from one foot to another uncomfortably. "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened -"

"There's no need to say sorry, Alyssa." He said raising his hand to stop her. "What happened wasn't your fault. It was stupid of me to start anything with him; I didn't know what he was capable of…" He trailed glancing away from her.

Alyssa hadn't expected him to say this; she expected him to go on a huge rant about how Draco was an evil Death Eater and how the fight just proved it, and if she thought otherwise then she was completely off her rocker. But he was actually acting… quite mature.

It also made her think of what her mom and her brother had been saying all along. _You don't know what he's capable of_. What if they had been right all along? What if that brutal side of Draco was really his true self, and this other business was just a load of shit? Alyssa suddenly felt rather light headed.

"It's just… I didn't want you thinking I was immediately going to side with Draco. What happened yesterday was both your faults, and just because we're involved doesn't mean I didn't think what he did was wrong." She took a breath realizing she'd gone off on a bit of a rant, but was glad to see Ron smile brightly at her.

"I'm really glad you said that… I mean, I didn't actually think that was the case, but still. It's good to hear."

Alyssa smiled broadly and chuckled giddily. "Okay, well… I guess I'll go. You should probably rest some more." He nodded and tossed his paper on the nightstand next to his bed. "See you." He replied.

She nodded and slowly walked away. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head as she remembered something. Turning back to Ron she asked, "Do you know where Pomfrey is?"

"Still in her office, I think." Alyssa nodded and went to the long shelves that were racked with different potions and ointments, etc. She searched through different products before finally finding the label indicating the one she needed. She waved at Ron once more before exiting the hospital wing and made her way back to Draco's room. To her utter surprise he was still sleeping heavily. He was usually an early bird unless he was up ridiculously late, but they'd gone to bed pretty early the previous night and it was almost nine now.

Alyssa took off her cloak and stretched in her already loosened shirt. Grabbing the jar of ointment in her hand, she climbed on the bed and crawled over to where he was resting. She reached out to grasp his hand; dried blood was covering his knuckles which were dark blue and swollen at least twice their usual size. She folded her legs underneath her sitting Indian-style and rested the palm of his hand on her knee.

She knew that if his hand was indeed broken the ointment wouldn't help. But it would at least get rid of the swelling and would clean off the blood and heal the broken skin. She twisted the cap of the jar and set aside. After rolling up her sleeve she reached into the deep jar with her hand and scooped out about half of a fistful.

She dipped her index and middle finger in it and delicately dabbed it onto Draco's hand. At first his hand twitched and she paused to make sure he was still sleeping before moving on. She continued her ministrations very quietly and carefully as to make sure not to wake him. His hand twitched once more as she was nearly finished and she glanced up.

He was awake, and his silver eyes seemed to be watching her every move and only landed on her face as he realized she noticed he was awake.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked quietly.

"Only a moment. I could feel what you were doing in my sleep."

"Sorry, I tried being as gentle as I could."

He shook his head, his blonde hair falling in his face. "It's fine. It… feels nice."

Alyssa nodded and spread the ointment over the bits of skin that remained. She did a quick _Scourgify _on her hands and closed the jar back up tossing it to the side.

They sat there in silence for a few moments. She was looking down at her lap while wringing her hands together and he sat there gazing at her.

Finally the silence was broken as he spoke up. "I've decided what I wanted to tell you."

Alyssa's eyes shot up, "What? What do you mean?"

"Well I meant what I said yesterday, so -"

"What did you say yesterday?"

"You know what I said." He said seriously. Alyssa lowered her head and let a small smile escape. She knew exactly what he meant – that he needed her. And just the fact that he wouldn't say it again at that moment made her know that she was _very _lucky to have heard the words to begin with.

"So what did you want to say?" She pried.

"That night, when I was tortured…"

She nodded her head indicating she knew what he meant. "What happened?" She asked quietly. She watched his face but his eyes were looking everywhere but at her. She knew now by his body language that he was feeling vulnerable, and he was very hesitant as he spoke.

"My father wanted to give me the Mark," He sat up but lowered his head, his hair falling into his eyes. "To make a long story short, I declined. He obviously wasn't too happy about it..." He trailed and his last few words were barely above a whisper.

"Did he ask why you didn't want it?"

Draco shook his head, "I don't think he really cared at the moment."

She was hesitant about her next question, and spoke slowly just incase she changed her mind, "Why didn't you take it? I mean – if you knew what was gonna happen to you."

He glanced up at her briefly, searching her eyes with his own. "I don't know really… I think I was just tired of everyone thinking I'd follow my father's footsteps."

Alyssa tried as hard as she possibly could to not punch her fist in the air triumphantly; she hadn't felt so relieved in months. He'd been asked to be a Death Eater and _he turned it down_. If that wasn't a good sign of what his intentions were – she didn't know what was.

For her, it was a comfortable silence. She felt such an amount of tension leave her mind at the thought that Draco felt he was able to confide in her. But as Alyssa looked at him she noticed that he seemed to be fidgeting uncomfortably. She briefly glanced at his hand noticing that the ointment had dried up and his hand was already looking as good as new. She reached for it and grabbed it roughly in her hands and cracked his knuckles.

"OW!" He screamed, roughly snatching his hand away from her. He jumped out of bed clutching his hand to his stomach and bent over wincing. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you, you sodding wench!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes at him and stood up. "See, your hand is obviously broken. You have to go to Pomfrey." She said calmly.

Draco opened his mouth protest but then realized that she'd really just been trying to lighten the mood. She offered a smile and averted her eyes.

Without closing their distance she voiced what she'd been feeling for a very long time now, "Look… you have no idea how happy it makes me that you've finally noticed you can confide in me – even if it did take really long." She said, "But I've been thinking about – us – and I haven't been too sure if what we're doing isn't just… purely physical."

Alyssa reluctantly looked up at him, her heart beating a bit faster, and was somewhat glad to see he was visibly frowning. He took a few minutes before responding, his brows were furrowed so she figured he was deep in thought. She was going to just give up and leave – she inched towards the door. But just as she twisted her ankle to step he spoke.

"I'm not entirely surprised you feel that way," he said, "I've suspected that's how you felt after seeing what's been bothering you so much lately." She nodded her head in agreement. "I don't exactly know how to prove to you otherwise, but it's not that way for me at all."

"Really?" She asked.

Draco nodded. "I mean - don't get me wrong, the shagging is fantastic."

She laughed out loud as he continued, "But I really would hope that's not all you thought this was about for me."

Alyssa cocked her head to the side surveying him, "You're different today – what's changed?"

"I dunno," He shrugged, "Punching the wits out of Weasley got a bit off my chest. I think I'm in, like, euphoria because I usually don't just come out with this bollocks."

Alyssa slapped her hands to her face letting out a frustrated sigh. "You make it sound like it was a good thing! It was NOT!" He chuckled softly and as her hands left her face she noticed him rub his probably broken hand. "You should seriously get that checked out."

He rolled his eyes, "Oh – yeah – because coming in with a broken hand after the weasel gets beaten to a bloody pulp isn't suspicious at all." He drawled sarcastically.

"Actually… they pretty much saved your ass. Ron told Pomfrey that he fell down a flight of stairs."

"Are you serious?" He asked, clearly bewildered. Alyssa nodded and he shook his head, unable to grasp the information. After a few seconds of shaking his head, he shrugged and turned towards his closet. "Well, I guess I better get this fixed then."

"Right, I'm gonna go take a shower." He nodded and without another word she exited his room and went back to her own. She grabbed fresh new clothes from her closet and made her way to the bathroom. After setting a towel and her clothes on the countertop, she started up her shower and hopped in.

After her shower she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She thought of the day ahead of her and decided she'd rather lounge around more than anything. It'd been a while since she felt relaxation, and after Draco admitted that what was between them wasn't just about physicality, she'd felt a significant weight lift off her shoulders. She grabbed a comb and ran it through her wet hair untangling the knots. After setting it down she heard the door opened and looked out the bathroom door to see Hermione walking in.

"Oh," Hermione gave a start, "I wondered where you'd been."

Alyssa glanced down at Hermione's hand – not surprised to see a book clenched in it. "I was in Draco's room for the night." She replied.

Hermione arched an eyebrow, "Oh, _right_."

Alyssa scoffed and left the bathroom. "Incase you were about to go on a lecture about how what happened yesterday only proves that I should stay away from and not trust Draco, save your breath." She said before Hermione could even open her mouth. "I've already visited Ron in the hospital wing this morning, and we're both on the same page."

"Oh, really?" Hermione said, dropping her book on her desk, "And what would this _page_ entail?"

"The fight yesterday was both their faults. Ron shouldn't have said those things to Draco – don't interrupt – and Draco shouldn't have… well… beaten the crap out of him."

Hermione considered this very strongly and even began tapping her foot before answering. "Well, being in the position that you are makes that a very admirable decision. _But -_" she said sternly as Alyssa smiled, "I happen to think what Malfoy did was _much _worse than what Ron did."

Alyssa frowned, but nodded understandingly. She decided to change the subject quickly, "Where's Ginny?"

Hermione took a second to think before answering, "She's in her dorm, I think. Last I saw she was getting some homework done."

Alyssa thanked her as she slipped on her slippers. She left her room and made her way towards Gryffindor tower. She still hadn't gotten used to the distance between her own room and Gryffindor tower. It always took her at least eight minutes to get there. Naturally it wouldn't seem that long, but when you walked there almost ever day it got rather tiring. She spoke the password to the fat lady and walked through the portrait into the common room.

Many students were crowded around the fire, most of them chatting but some working on homework. Alyssa searched for Ginny but she was nowhere to be found. She walked up the steps to the girls dorms and knocked on the door to Ginny's room.

"Come in!" She heard her shout.

Alyssa quietly pushed the door opened and stepped in the room. Ginny was on the far side, seated on her bed and scribbling furiously on a roll of parchment. She briefly looked up at Alyssa and gave her a welcoming smile before continuing to work. Alyssa, not wanting to interrupt, didn't say anything and took a seat on the bed next to hers. She thought of bringing up the fight yesterday with Ginny – but she'd already felt like she talked about it eight hundred times. She figured it'd be better for the both of them if she didn't mention it; Ginny could've been to visit Ron already and had everything sorted out.

"So how's Malfoy doing?" Ginny asked; Alyssa was taken aback.

She thought over her answer before saying, "Actually we had an interesting conversation today; you know how I've been thinking it's all just physical for us?" Ginny nodded still working on her paper. "Well, he told me that he hoped that wasn't all I thought this was."

Ginny dropped her quill and looked up almost instantly. "Really? I mean – I didn't think that's all it was either – but he actually _said _that?"

"Surprising myself even," Alyssa muttered. They sat for a moment in silence, Ginny's quill was still paused in the air as her brows furrowed in thought. "I don't know though…" Alyssa said after a while.

"What?"

"Well – what if he was just lying to me? He wouldn't have been in a good spot if he was just like – 'Trust me, it's all physical' – y'know?" Alyssa explained. "I feel like I should be satisfied or something, but I'm not. He doesn't tell me anything for so long and now all of a sudden he just throws out all these things."

Ginny nodded and suddenly sat up straight, dropping her quill to the floor. "I've got an idea!" She said at once.

Alyssa was startled and bounced back in her seat with a questioning eye, "What?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders, "Well it depends on if you can handle it yourself."

Alyssa rose from her seat on the bed placing her hands on her hips and jutting out her chin, "Me? I can handle anything."

She received a roll of the eyes from Ginny as she described what the plan would be. "To see if this whole thing really isn't just about sex, simply test him."

"What do you mean?"

"See how long he can last without shagging you." She said as if it was clearly obvious, "That way you can see how much he needs it and if it's really the one thing that holds you two together." She crossed her arms over her chest looking rather pleased with herself.

"He's not the only one who enjoys the sex, Ginny." Alyssa said skeptically, "I don't even know how long _I _can last."

Ginny shrugged as if it didn't matter, "It'll be a test for both of you then… Just make up some bollocks about you not wanting to get physical for a little bit, see his reaction." She watched as Alyssa gazed out the window, thinking of a decision, "Oh, _come on_. It'll be fun to watch the git squirm."

Alyssa looked at her and raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "True." She shrugged again before throwing up her hands, "All right, I don't see any harm."

"Yes! This is gonna be so funny!" Ginny said excitedly bouncing up and down. Alyssa put her hand on her shoulders making her stand still.

"Yeah, for you maybe," She said, "I just hope I can contain myself longer than I think."

Before dinner that night Alyssa went back to her room to change. She'd already figured out how she'd start the plan she had concocted with Ginny. She would put on the sexiest pair of underwear she found and go to Draco's room to spend the night. She'd get undressed and get into bed with him and as he reached for her and start kissing her – which he probably would – she'd pull away and suggest innocently that they didn't have sex for a little bit.

He'd probably agree reluctantly, not wanting to start a fight, and that's when she'd start really messing with him.

Alyssa smiled to herself as she put on a black push-up bra that was decorated with red roses and a matching pair of scandalous lacy black panties. She tugged on the tightest jeans she had brought with her to Hogwarts, and a tight fuzzy black sweater that had a nice dip revealing her well set cleavage. After resetting her makeup and applying a little gloss, she headed to the Great Hall for dinner.

She'd made sure not to see Draco the entire day, that way he'd be anticipating seeing her later. She spent the entire day in Gryffindor tower and chuckled to herself as Ginny came in during the afternoon telling her how Blaise said Draco had been looking for her.

Alyssa sat at her usual spot next to Harry and couldn't help but notice even _he _was checking her out. She scooted her chair closer to the table and loaded some food onto her plate. Eventually Ginny came in and sat down across from Alyssa; she gave her a once over and laughed out loud.

"I see you're ready for a hot date?" Alyssa gave her an innocent smile and laughed with her, "Just don't torture him _too _much."

Alyssa waved her hand dismissively and dug into her food. After a few minutes she felt the feeling of holes being burnt into her back; she slowly turned to look at the Slytherin table and saw Draco sitting there watching her. She gave him a small smile before turning around and continuing on with her food. After a while she finished her dinner and excused herself from the table and walked out of the Hall. Out of the corner of her eye she wasn't surprised to see Draco get up as well and follow her.

She exited the Hall and made her way up the stairs heading to the Owlery, or at least that's where she planned to be going. About halfway up the steps she heard Draco call her name and slowly turned around to look down at him.

"Hey," She said softly, she descended the stairs until she reached the last step now making herself eye level with Draco.

"I haven't seen you all day." He said. She watched as his eyes made their way down her body and back up to her face; but it seemed innocent enough.

"I know, I was with Ginny practically all afternoon." She said with an apologetic smile.

He nodded and ran a hand through his blonde hair, leaving strands to fall in his eyes. She reached out to brush them away, her fingertips grazed against his forehead and for a second she paused. An electric shock shot through her from her fingertips to her toes, and she wondered for a moment if he felt it too.

"Did you -" he nodded.

She swallowed heavily before dropping her hand to her side. "I have to go to the Owlery real quick; I'll see you later?" He nodded again and she turned to walk back up the stairs.

After reaching the Owlery she whistled lightly to summon her owl, Moony. As the owl flew down to perch on a lower banister, Alyssa pulled out a note she'd previously wrote to Brad out of her pocket.

In a fit of excitement she scribbled on a tiny piece of paper:

_Brad, guess what! Lucius asked Draco to become a Death Eater – before you freak out and crumple this letter let me finish! He turned it down! He turned it down, Brad. Doesn't this make you happy? Well, write me back no matter what you think – I haven't spoken to you in a while. Love, Alyssa._

She rolled up the parchment and fastened it onto Moony's leg and ran a finger over its wing.

"Take this to Brad; it won't be that long of a flight, he's only in Hogsmeade." Moony hooted appreciatively and soared out the window. Alyssa glanced at her watch noticing it was only a bit past nine – it seemed it'd be another early evening for her. But she didn't seem to mind so much after realizing classes were the next day.

Alyssa made her way back to her common room and seeing Draco wasn't there headed straight to his room. She opened the door quietly; she could hear the shower running in the bathroom and decided she'd wait. She took off her shoes and made herself comfortable at the end of his bed.

It wasn't long – maybe five minutes later before he walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist, his wet hair dripping down his back. Her stomach did flip-flops against her will; she never seemed to get over how good looking he was – scratch that – how beautiful he was. He took her breath away. She raised her hand and gave a small wave.

"How are you?" She asked. He raised his previously injured hand and flexed his fingers in front of her. "Got it fixed, then?" He nodded his head and grabbed a pair of boxers out of his closet. He put them on underneath his towel then unwrapped it from his waist and used it two dry off his upper body and hair.

She yawned loudly, laying it on thick how tired she was. Draco turned to her with a cocked eyebrow, "Tired?" He asked. She nodded covering her mouth as she faked a second yawn.

"I think I'm just gonna turn in, do you mind?" She asked lightly. He shook his head as he stood on the opposite side of the bed facing her.

She got up and walked over to the opposite side of him. Slowly she undid her jeans and slid them down over her hips. Then she raised her arms and _very _slowly pulled off her sweater. She glanced at him briefly, as not to make it obvious, and tried extremely hard not to laugh. It seemed the little color he originally had left his face and his eyes devoured her body. She wondered what he was thinking of and crawled into bed, only pulling the blanket up loosely around her hips.

After rubbing his hair out a few more times with his towel, Draco dropped it to the floor and climbed in the bed next to her. Immediately he reached his arm out and wrapped it tightly around her waist. She closed her eyes and tried to control her actions as her mind went over the conversation she had earlier with Ginny. She found it rather difficult to concentrate when Draco leaned forward and ran his lips over her shoulder and collar bone.

She took a deep breath and eventually raised her voice, even though it cracked as she spoke, "Draco – I was thinking – maybe we shouldn't get physical for a little bit."

He didn't answer right away – clearly taken aback. He even pulled away a little bit, his hand now resting on her stomach rather than her hip.

"Is this about the conversation we had earlier?" He asked softly. She nodded her head stiffly, trying so hard not to let her body's reaction control her. She could feel energy emitting from Draco's hand into her stomach and it was driving her crazy.

She sat up a little, holding herself up with her elbows causing her chest to arch upwards and closer to Draco so he wouldn't be able to look away. "I just think I'd be a little more comfortable… if we didn't…" She rested her hand on Draco's, "Don't you think?"

He swallowed hard and Alyssa tried not to smirk at him; she wanted to see how far he could control himself before he threw all of that out the window and let go. After a few minutes he finally nodded and rested on his back, his hands at his sides.

Suddenly Alyssa threw herself onto his chest, "Oh, Draco – I hope you're not upset with me!" she cried.

She had completely startled him and felt him tense up as if now he couldn't touch her at all. He shook his head, unable to find the words to say to her. She splayed her hands over his chest; her face was already pressed onto his stomach, her lips pressed against his lower abdomen. For once he didn't know what to do at all – and it was the perfect reaction she could've gotten from him.

Alyssa looked up at him innocently, her lips brushing him as she spoke, "You're not? You sure?" She sat up; her hands still on his chest and now leant closer, "Because if this really isn't what you want we can just have sex!"

He swallowed hard again. "N-no, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I told you before," He said, his voice a little stronger, "That's not all I want from you. And I don't say things I don't mean."

Her stomach dropped and her heart fluttered, she had not been expecting him to say something like that AT ALL. She thought he'd put up more of a fight and that they'd end up having sex right then and there anyway.

After regaining her senses she smiled brightly at him. "Thanks, Draco. It means so much to me to know that you respect me." She cooed. She gave him a tight hug before rolling to the other side and curling up in her blanket.

A few seconds past before she heard him mutter 'Right,' and smiled to herself thinking this was much easier than she thought it'd be.

Her mind flew back to when they were standing on the stairs… the shock she'd felt. She hadn't felt that since right before they first had sex together… and that was months ago. And now she was feeling it again, even as they were lying together with his hand on her stomach, she'd felt it then, too. Just as she was drifting to sleep her mind focused on what that could possibly mean. Maybe she'd ask Ginny tomorrow…

_The candle chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling were dimly lit, casting only a faint glow on the entire room. The crowd standing below them could barely be seen for they were all dressed in heavy black cloaks with their hoods and masks covering their identities. They were all bent over, perched on one knee with their heads bowed._

_In front of them were two wizards, clad in the same black cloaks but with their identities revealed. They stood tall and proud, chins raised in the air giving off nothing but waves of arrogance. _

"_Step forward, son." One of them called in a voice barely above a whisper._

_At the very front row of the crowd, one figure stood up. He was tall and lean, and as he lowered his hood the only thing that was truly visible through the dim light was his white-blonde hair._

"_How is my daughter doing?" The second wizard asked. His accent was American, but he slurred and mumbled as he spoke as if he hadn't been to America or spoken to an American in years._

"_Her powers grow stronger as every day goes by. But as you've feared I doubt they'll be as easy to take from her as you thought it'd be." He drawled; his face was expressionless – if anything looking as if he was bored and had other, better, things to be doing. "She's been using them – practicing with them, with your son. He's been teaching her how to control her powers so they can't be used against her or to take advantage of her."_

_The wizard nodded curtly and sat down at his chair. He raised a glass of red wine to his lips and after taking a small sip let out a deep sigh._

"_Does she know about the ritual?" He asked._

"_No."_

"_Speaking of," The other wizard said, "Have we decided who would perform the ritual? As you know it has to be performed by someone who has a genuine care for the girl." _

_The blonde standing in front of them furrowed his brows and listened intently._

"_I think, then, that I should be the one to do it, Lucius." He replied. "Seeing as I am her father."_

_Suddenly the blonde stepped forward, "How could you possibly call yourself her father, you've done nothing but torment her and her family their entire lives!" he snapped._

_Lucius stepped forward, "Draco, how dare you speak out like that." He hissed pulling out his wand._

_Draco ignored him, barely glancing at his wand, "You think that everything you've put them through could be considered as genuine care?"_

"Crucio!_" Lucius shouted instantly. Draco fell to the ground on his hands and knees, trying his hardest not to scream. He winced violently, his body convulsing and writhing against his will._

_The wizard still in his seat took a deep breath, "Oh, Lucius, let's not drive him to madness, now." Lucius raised his wand and stepped backwards. Draco was still crouched on the ground breathing heavily. Eventually he stood up, although wincing as he did and still breathing hard._

"_I see my daughter has been telling you about our past." He said, stepping up from his chair, "Just so you know, since the moment she was born I've felt nothing but love for her. As a father, no matter what happens, you will always have those feelings. Maybe someday you will understand what that means." He glared down at Draco and walked away._

_Lucius stepped towards Draco, his wand raised again and pointed directly at his throat. "First you turn down the Mark and now this. I don't know what's running through that insolent mind of yours but the Dark Lord will not be pleased."_

_Draco said nothing but glared as Lucius walked away._

Alyssa's eyes flew opened but closed again as she winced against the bright sunlight. She was shaking violently against her covers and as she ran her hands over her face she realized she'd been crying in her sleep.

She looked over her shoulder to see Draco staring intently at her. She took more calming breaths and rested on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Nightmare?" He asked softly.

"How c-could you tell?" She said sarcastically, but she wasn't calm enough to sound funny in her ears.

"You were shouting in your sleep."

Alyssa looked at him again, noting the amount of concern that was visible in his eyes. "What did I say?"

"A lot of it had to do with your father… but I heard my name in there too."

"Oh…" she blinked back the tiredness in her eyes, "What time is it?"

"About time for breakfast," He watched her as she sat up and ran shaking hands over her face. He reached out towards her and grabbed her hand, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

She looked over her hand as he held it in both of his and was comforted at the feeling of familiar warmth running up her arm and through her body.

"It was just… It must've been some sort of gathering or something." She said heaving a great sigh. "You and my dad were there… and Lucius, too. There were others but I couldn't see them."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Draco said with a questioning tone as to why she seemed so freaked out.

Her eyes darted back to his silver ones and only wished it wasn't so bad. It hurt her so much to watch Draco get tortured before her very eyes. She realized she'd barely be able to get it out of her mouth if she wanted to continue on with what happen in her dream. She nodded to what he said and turned from him to sit at the edge of the bed.

"I know… it must've just been since I haven't seen my dad in years." She lied. She quickly pulled on her jeans and sweater and stood up looking at Draco who was still in the bed watching her. "I'm gonna get my books and stuff. I'll see you at breakfast…" He nodded, frowning a little as he did, and she walked out his bedroom and into her own.

Eventually she got down to breakfast dressed in her uniform and with her bag slung over her shoulder. She ignored everyone as she walked through the hallways, still spooked about her dream from the past night. Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all already seated at the table, chatting happily and eating their breakfasts.

She sat down next to Harry and kicked her bag under her chair, pulling a cup of tea towards her and sipping it.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked looking at her over his shoulder. She shrugged and rested her head on his arm and closed her eyes. She'd gotten a full night of sleep but she was feeling so _exhausted_.

Everyone seated around them looked at Harry with questioning glances. He shrugged his free shoulder and tried to eat as still as possible so he wouldn't disturb her. After about twenty minutes people started getting up for class. Harry glanced at his watch noticing they had to get to Potions and nodded at Ron and Hermione. They both got up and walked out of the hall leaving Harry and Alyssa.

Harry moved his free hand and ran his fingers over her cheek. Her eyes slowly opened and she shrugged her shoulders hearing them pop.

"Sorry, Harry, I'm so out of it today."

He smiled and shook his head, "I can tell. But we have to go to class now unless you want some detentions from Snape." Alyssa nodded and lifted her head from his shoulder. They both stood up from the table and grabbed their bags. Together they walked towards the dungeons to get to Potions; there was just enough time to get to class and still have a minute or two to hang out.

The hallway was silent as they walked next to each other. No students were in sight – probably because they were all in their classes already.

"I watched Draco get tortured," Alyssa said suddenly.

Harry stopped immediately and his head turned to look at her, "What are you talking about?" He asked seriously.

"Well, not literally right in front of me. I dreamt it; Lucius used the Cruciatus on him."

"Is that why you're so out of it this morning?" Alyssa nodded.

"It was just… so _real_. It was like I was actually there, just watching."

"Have you had other dreams like this?" They were nearing the classroom and as there were other students crowding around the door, Harry stopped a few meters away from them so they could still talk.

"Kind of – I mean – not specifically towards Draco… just other dreams that were really… _vivid_." She looked at Harry who seemed deep in thought, his brows furrowed, "Why? Do you think it means something?"

Harry shook his head quickly and shrugged, "I doubt it…" He said, he reached over and rubbed a hand over her shoulder comfortingly, "Everything will be okay, it was probably just a dream. You're just a bit freaked out, is all."

Alyssa nodded although now that the idea was in her head, she wondered if there could've been some other explanation for the dreams she'd been having. She gave Harry a forced smile and they both followed the rest of the students as they filed in to their classroom. She decided to sit in the back; she was still wiped and freaked out and the thought of having to deal with Snape up close and personal was not something she thought she was ready to withstand.

She sat alone at the last desk on the left of the room; Harry, Ron and Hermione sat two rows in front of her. She nearly jumped a foot in the air when Draco slid into the seat next to her.

"Hello," She greeted, in a voice that was very unlike her own. He seemed to notice that as well, for he did a double take as if to make sure he was sitting next to the right person. He didn't respond but merely shoved his things under his desk and slammed his book and quill on top.

Alyssa lowered her head and began fidgeting. She twisted knots with her fingers and pulled on a loose string at the hem of her sweater. Suddenly Draco's hand flew over to her and clasped both of her hands in his.

"Stop fidgeting," He said, he turned his eyes to her which she noticed seemed to have gone to a darker shade of grey, "You're acting like you've completely lost it." He said very seriously, "You have to tell me -"

He was interrupted by the slamming of the doors as Snape made his entrance. Draco visibly scowled and gripped her hand.

Snape began talking – about what, Alyssa didn't know, she wasn't even listening. But Draco leaned in to her and began whispering, his breath tickling her ear.

"You have to tell me what happened; I don't like seeing you like this."

Alyssa turned to him and opened her mouth to say something –

"Ms. Bennington, if you could refrain from interrupting my class, that'd be lovely." Snape drawled. Alyssa glared at him and turned away from Draco.

After class she practically made a run for it out of the door but was stopped almost instantly as Draco grabbed her by the elbow.

"Not so fast," He growled. He looked around, then after deciding where to go they took off down the hallway. Alyssa couldn't help but wince at the burning sensation Draco was causing her. He stopped immediately dropping her arm and looked at her frowning.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked softly.

"No… it's that… burning thing." She said with a shrug. He nodded and took a step forward; looking back at her to make sure she'd follow.

Eventually they made it to a deserted hallway and Draco stopped turning towards her, waiting for her to speak. Her eyes darted around trying to look at everywhere – anywhere – but him.

"Why won't you tell me? Was it really that bad?"

"I can't tell you because… because…" She took a frustrated sigh, "Because you were tortured, all right? I can barely look at you thinking that that's actually happened before and it was like I was right there… just watching you… in so much pain."

She finally looked up at his eyes, which seemed to lighten up as she watched from the dark grey back to silver. He had clearly not been expecting her to say that. He opened his mouth to say something but before he did she interrupted.

"I know you're going to tell me not to worry about you. Well, quit while you're ahead because that'll never happen. I'm always going to worry about you. I care about you… a lot. And no matter what you say, you won't change a thing about how I feel." She took a deep breath and exhaled feeling more exhausted now than ever. She hadn't really intended on spilling her guts to him but she couldn't control herself.

Alyssa stared intently at the floor, suddenly feeling embarrassed. She felt Draco's fingers trail down her jaw line and under her chin to make her look up at him. Reluctantly, her eyes met his and the emotion that was running through his eyes was so unrecognizable she couldn't even tell what he was feeling.

"Thank you." He finally said softly, his breath brushing her lips. He let his fingers linger on her chin, completely ignoring the electric shocks that were now pulsating down his fingertips.

The week came and went. By the time it was Friday it seemed to have been a fast paced week but the days had gone by so slow. Alyssa had eventually decided to write Brad asking him what the burning sensations were whenever she and Draco touched. At first it was hard to send the letter; she really didn't want Brad thinking about her and Draco's intimate life. But eventually she realized he'd probably be the most knowledgeable person on the subject. He'd written back saying that when those shocks, or the burnings occur it was usually because that certain pair had a very strong desire for one another.

Well, she put off that desire for the entire week. And she felt somewhat uplifted by it. She knew she could get by, and it wasn't the only thing that was holding them together. Yes, she did have an extreme desire for Draco, but she always would. Desire had nothing to do with her actual feelings.

Alyssa was currently lounged on her bed, reading a book with the fire crackling not too far from her. She had finished dinner and with the intent of putting a stressful week behind she had decided to spend the rest of the night in her dorm.

The door opened and without looking to see who it was Alyssa gave a small wave behind her head. "Hey, Hermione. I was just wondering where you've been." She was met with silence and suddenly felt a strong amount of energy emanating from whoever came in.

She heard the swish of a cloak and suddenly felt the opposite side of her bed dip as someone climbed on it. She could tell just by the smell that it was Draco. He crawled on top of her, his entire body pressed onto her backside. Alyssa tried to ignore him but found it rather hard as he ran his lips over the back of her neck, brushing her hair aside. It sent chills down her spine. His other free hand roamed her side, down her shoulder and part of her back, to rest on her hip. Alyssa could feel already, pressed into the back of her thigh, how much he wanted her.

"Draco, stop…" She breathed, and took a sharp intake of breath as he ran his teeth down her neck. "I thought -"

He bit harder on her neck and said, "Shut up." He reached over her shoulder and grabbed the book from her, tossing it to the floor.

She quivered as Draco ran his hands over her arms. He continued to kiss her neck, and pulled the neck of her sweater to the side, exposing her shoulder. His fingertips grazed her there; he felt the burning and growled sending vibrations through his chest and into her back. He raised his body up using one hand, and with the other reached underneath her body to unzip her sweater. He pulled it off her shoulders and her arms and tossed that to the floor, then after raising himself further up he turned her over so her back was now pressed against the bed.

Alyssa's breathing was already unsteady; she'd wanted him so badly it hurt. And by the looks of him, it seemed Draco felt the same exact way. He ran his hand down her face, down to her neck and moved aside the straps of her bra and tank top. His lips followed the trail his hand made and Alyssa unexpectedly let out a moan.

Her senses finally started to kick in. Her arms flew up and wrapped themselves around Draco's waist. She ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the dip of his spine and the muscles contract and relax around his shoulders. She let out another moan as his tongue ran lazy circles around her neck and gave her small nips here and there.

Her eyes opened and realizing where she was she was suddenly filled with panic.

"But Hermione…" She started. Draco raised his head to look at her and shook his head. What was that supposed to mean? But she didn't really care at the moment. The whole school could've walked in and she wouldn't have minded a bit.

She gripped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him towards her, kissing him softly on the mouth. It was so satisfying just to feel his lips on hers she thought she might lose it right then and there. He ran his lips against hers, slowly but tentatively; completely filled with the passion that she'd been missing. Somehow she managed to un-tuck his shirt and soon she could feel his smooth skin of his back and chest beneath her fingertips. Her hands roamed over his hips and gave a gentle squeeze, surprising herself when she received a moan against her lips. Her hands flew back up to cup his face and she ran her tongue over his lips, granting her access to his mouth. If her eyes had been opened, they'd be crossed because of the sensation going through her body. He seemed to be able to work wonders in her mouth, like she'd never experienced before.

She undid his buckle and yanked it out of the loops of his pants and tossed it behind her head onto the floor. Her heart beat so loudly in her chest she wouldn't have been surprised if he could hear every thump. Draco's hips moved against hers and she let out a loud moan, bringing her knees to the sides of his hips. Her hands came down and she undid his pants, sliding them over his hips a little, and then ran her hand over his length slowly beneath his boxers. He shuddered on top of her and a small moan escaped his lips.

Finally she took some initiative, realizing that they were going way to slow and it was murdering her. She shoved Draco off of her, breaking off their kiss and completely taking him by surprise. She sat up and lifted her tank top off her body, followed by her skirt and moved to lie next to Draco whose head was now rested on her pillows. He wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders, pulling her to his chest. He pressed his lips to hers once more, continuing the kiss that they'd just shared. Her hand found its way back to underneath his boxers where she stroked him slowly. He suddenly bit hard on her lip and gripped her shoulders but she didn't stop until he became frustrated at his lack of control and pulled her hand away.

She pulled away from his lips and stared at him as he was breathing heavily. It was like they were having a silent confrontation; Draco being vaguely irritated that she could make his control ebb away so easily, and Alyssa being completely surprised at him. Eventually Draco decided he didn't care anymore. He reached forward and yanked her arm toward him and crushed his lips on hers. His hands wound around her back and snapped open her bra and threw it to the floor. He slid down the pillows, his lips roaming down her chest as his hand palmed and gripped her. Her breath became hitched in her throat and she choked back a moan. Draco's free hand roamed around her waist, his lips trailing down to her stomach. He hooked a finger underneath the waist of her panties and slowly pulled them off. He let go of her briefly and pulled off his own pants and boxers.

Alyssa squealed slightly as Draco pulled her downwards so they were now eye level. He ran his hand up her thigh and pulled it so her leg was fastened over his hip. They were still positioned on their sides and after raising Alyssa just a bit he pushed himself inside of her. Alyssa let go of a deep breath and pressed her lips to Draco's, her hand ran down his arm, squeezing his bicep as he gripped her tightly moving her up and down as he thrust against her. She could barely even kiss him, being on her side caused him to hit spots she'd never felt before and instead of them kissing each other, they were breathing inside their opened mouths. Alyssa moaned loudly and tucked her head in the nook of his shoulder with his lips against her ear. He grunted with each thrust and she gripped onto him as tight as she could, wrapping her leg further around him causing a loud moan to escape from both of them.

They both could feel their release coming on; Draco rolled over and was now on top of her. He pulled Alyssa downwards and fastened her legs around his hips. He thrust into her harder and faster, now. They were both covered in a sheet of sweat and Alyssa couldn't even tell if her increasingly louder moans were in her head or aloud. Draco moved his hand to the small of her back, arching her upwards and causing him to continually hit her in the spot that would make her climax hard. Alyssa was practically shrieking now, with each thrust he would go harder, deeper, faster. She fastened her arms tightly around his shoulders and after balancing all of his weight on top of her, he reached his other hand between their bodies and rubbed her center, she climaxed instantly, shouting his name and biting his shoulder. He followed soon after as she clenched her muscles around him and they lay smothered together, panting, and covered with sweat.

"Alyssa…" He eventually murmured against her neck, "That was -"

"Amazing," She finished. Unable to respond he simply nodded. Her eyes roamed around her bedroom, it was the first time they'd been together in her own room and she kind of liked it. Perhaps she'd ask Hermione to leave more often. Her eyes landed back on Draco. His back rose and fell as he took deep calming breaths, she ran her fingers through his soft hair and kissed the part of his face that was exposed, seeing as it was pressed into her neck.

"Draco – I think -" She gasped cutting herself off after realizing what she was about to say.

He lifted his head up to look at her, "What?"

She shook her head, "Nothing." He rested his head back on her shoulder, not wanting to move. He was still inside of her but neither of them wanted to change a thing at that moment. Alyssa stared at the ceiling – her eyes wide. Had she really been about to say what she thought she was going to say?


	15. Chapter 15

Once February crawled in, the entire female population of Hogwarts went crazy as Valentine's Day drew near. Even a week prior to the Day, girls like Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil created tricks and plans in order to 'hook' the man they wanted. Most plans of which included 'Love Potions' which unbeknownst to them, would most likely end up in some pretty dangerous scenarios. Most students, though, who weren't completely off their rocker, planned for a nice quiet day with their significant other. Blaise, for example, decided to take Ginny out for dinner down in Hogsmeade after a full and hopefully satisfying day of shopping. Alyssa and Draco didn't even really have plans; but much to Draco's protest they decided that exchanging gifts were completely out of the question.

"We don't need an excuse to express what we feel about each other." Alyssa had explained, "It's just a stupid holiday that gets people to waste their money." And just as Draco opened his mouth to protest she added, "And it'll give you another reason to feel so damn smug about yourself." She knew she was right at the large smirk that had appeared on his face.

Currently Alyssa was lying on Ginny's bed inhaling chocolate covered strawberries while she and the rest of her dormies sat on the floor gossiping about boys and going over their Valentine's Day plans. Alyssa was trying her best not to join their conversation too much – it would just make her end up having to talk about Draco for the rest of the evening and she was already on edge about what happened almost two weeks earlier that she wouldn't be able to bear it. There was _supposed_ to be champagne but someone, more specifically – Audrey had forgotten to nick it when she had the chance. So Alyssa was bored, staring up at the ceiling filling herself up as much as she could with her strawberries. Suddenly there was a loud squeal and Alyssa craned her neck to see Kim on the floor with her face pressed in her blanket and shaking with laughter.

"Did I miss something?"

Ginny turned around, visibly seething with her cheeks scarlet, "Oh, nothing at all. _Someone_ just found it hilarious to picture what _Ronald_ looks like in the showers!" Alyssa frowned then laughed at the look of horror on Ginny's face.

"I suddenly feel the need for some fresh air." She said standing up, she looked over at Alyssa expectedly who more than willingly dropped her strawberries and stood up.

"Where to?" She asked, and together they made their exit.

Seeing as it was nearing curfew, most students were already in their common rooms. The hallways were practically empty and the high tower had a brisk chill passing through it.

"How you spend every night there is beyond me." Alyssa said dryly. She wrapped her arms around herself regretting that she left her cloak or any sort of sweater in her room on the other side of the castle. They paused by a large window, which was really just a hole in the wall – no glass included, and stuck their heads out of it looking into the starry sky. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before Alyssa noticed Ginny had her head down and was fidgeting with her blouse.

"What's up?" She asked. Ginny looked up, her face silhouetted by the moonlight. She looked hesitant and eager at the same time, but her face was serious as if she was about to unload something incredibly personal.

She smiled briefly before answering, "I told Blaise I love him the other night."

Alyssa's stomach dropped, her mouth hung opened slightly as the image of Draco surfaced to her mind. "Are you serious? What'd he say?"

Ginny smiled broadly as she spoke, "Well, he was the first to say it actually. I was so surprised – I mean – I'd been thinking if that was how I felt about him but I didn't know he'd been thinking about it, too!" She was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug as Alyssa wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you, Ginny!" Alyssa cooed. Ginny slapped her arms away with pink cheeks but a joking smile on her face and Alyssa laughed. "So I take it you're having sex then?"

The pink tinge suddenly turned scarlet and Ginny looked away, causing Alyssa to laugh even more. "There's nothing to be shy about! How is it?" Ginny didn't speak but gave her a big two thumbs up and started giggling uncontrollably. Suddenly Alyssa was reminded of the rest of her roommates and rolled her eyes.

"I'll have to get details out of you some other time, then." She said with a sarcastic frown. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Ginny shrugged, "You've seemed really stressed out about your own relationship and what's going on with your dad." She explained, "It seemed a bit superfluous, really, to talk to you about my own little happenings."

Alyssa frowned and shook her head. "You're like my sis, Ginny. You can always talk to me about anything you need to." She rolled her eyes at her before continuing, "And nothing is 'little', Gin, anything that's important to you – is important to me." She said, jutting a thumb at her own chest to give it emphasis.

Ginny nodded, her blush now faded away and she looked over her shoulder down the hallway. "You want to head back?" she suggested. Alyssa shook her head.

"No, I think I'll head back later. I'm still recovering from those girls," Ginny nodded understandingly and walked away leaving Alyssa staring out of the window. When she finally decided to head back she took a different direction that would take longer to get back to Gryffindor tower than the hallway she and Ginny took before. There was more light in this hallway making the chill passing through her body ebb away. Alyssa dropped her arms and swung them enthusiastically by her sides. She glanced at her surroundings containing numerous lit lanterns and body suits of armor. Looking down the hall she suddenly stopped walking to watch a very odd sight.

Harry and Draco stood at the very end of the hallway deeply immersed in what looked to be like a very serious conversation. There were two things wrong about this situation; one – Draco was never, ever seen in this part of the castle, ever. Two - he certainly was never seen having an actual conversation with Harry Potter.

Alyssa picked up her pace, yet walked extremely slow as to not get their attention. Draco made a sudden move to walk away, a furious expression on his face, but Harry grabbed his arm sharply to pull him back. Alyssa gasped; no one in their right mind would ever grab Draco the way Harry just did, and it seemed he realized his mistake. Draco stopped and glared at the hand holding on to his arm before Harry let go. Harry continued to talk and Alyssa continued to walk down the hallway, her interest in the conversation growing immensely. But suddenly she bumped into a figure that seemed to cut right in front of her and out of nowhere before she got any closer to them.

She looked up on the intruder; "Ron? What are you doing here?" He was smiling brightly at her, as if she'd just done three back flips in midair - naked right in front of him.

"Oh, you know, just taking a walk. It's a bit chilly though, isn't it?" He responded quickly, the smile still plastered on his face.

Alyssa nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah, Ron, that's great. But I have to go…" She tried walking around him but he took one large step in front of her, completely blocking her view of Draco and Harry. Alyssa snapped her head up to look at Ron. His face had seemed to turn a bit red at her scrutiny and as she watched him she inched to the side, where he once again blocked her.

She added one thing to the other and her jaw dropped, "Are you _stalling_ me?" She demanded.

The color drained from his face and his mouth opened and closed multiple times, unsure of what to say. "What – of course not. Stalling you from what?"

Alyssa scoffed loudly and put her hands on her hips. "You've got to be kidding me!" Alyssa shoved him away and tried to get closer before Ron actually grabbed her by the elbow. "Ron! What is wrong with you, have you completely lost your mind?" She was trying her hardest to keep quiet; she wanted to listen in on whatever conversation Draco and Harry were having and it seemed Ron was determined to not let that happen. But just as she turned to look at him, her head throbbed as if someone just hit it with a thick text book.

"Gah!" She yelled loudly, her voice echoing down the hall. Her hand flew to the side of her head and she glanced over at the boys hoping they hadn't heard her. But she was too loud – Harry, who was in mid-sentence with his hand in the air, snapped his head over to where she was standing and Draco followed his line of vision, his eyes landing on Alyssa.

Ron seemed to panic as if he'd just hurt her, "Alyssa, are you okay?"

She was not okay, her head was pounding as if it was repeatedly being slammed onto the stone floor she was standing on and she let out a loud moan as she collapsed onto the floor. Harry and Draco who seemed to have completely forgotten what they were talking about sprinted over to her side as her eyes slid shut and her body shook in pain.

"What the bloody hell have you done to her, Weasley?" Draco shouted.

"Me? I didn't do anything! I was standing here keeping watch like you told me to and she just collapsed!" Ron said.

"Bollocks! I _saw _you with your _filthy _hands on her! What have you done?"

"Filthy? Oh, this really hurts coming from you!"

Harry seemed to be the only one paying attention to Alyssa as she writhed in pain below the arguing pair. He pulled her towards him and rested her head on his lap – not sure what to do.

"_Don't you realize - this isn't going to work!" The voice hissed._

"_Everything will be fine as long as it goes according to plan."_

"_It's too risky! There's too many watching, too many who can stop us."_

_Violet eyes glared angrily at the man standing next to him. "I've already been informed that Dumbledore won't be present – he's the only one who would try to stop us before making sure the rest of the students are safe." He said calmly. _

Another surge of pain sent through Alyssa's head and she let out a loud moan, grasping her head.

"Alyssa – Alyssa, it's Harry! Snap out of it!"

"Oh, like that's going to do anything, Potter!" Draco snapped angrily. He slapped his hands away from Alyssa so he could look at her himself. Yet what Harry said seemed to have done the trick. Her eyes flew opened – except, what should've been her violet colored irises were now solid black, and it stretched over the white parts of her eyes – the whole area of her eyes were now black. The three boys pulled back in complete surprise.

"What's happening?" Ron shouted, but no one answered – no one seemed to know.

"_What about my son? He'll try to protect her."_

"_He'll stay out of the way!" He bellowed, his eyes narrowing into slits. "This is about the only chance we got before- "_

Harry squared her shoulders looking into her eyes, although he wasn't sure where to look, "Alyssa, look at me!" He shook her a bit before Draco dove forward again, angrily grabbing his shoulders.

"Stop manhandling her, you ponce!"

"Malfoy, unless you can think of anything to help her instead of shouting at us like a lunatic - shut your mouth!"

Alyssa gasped suddenly, her eyes closed again and when they opened next they were back to normal, her violet eyes now wide. They flew to Draco as he reached towards her and she grabbed her waist searching for her wand, then after envisioning it lying on Ginny's bed she threw her arm out and slammed the palm of her hand against his chest. Harry and Ron looked confused but Draco knew exactly what was going on – or more could feel it. Her hand was slightly clenched at the fingertips, and sort of felt like it was pulsating, unless it was just her shaking from the pain.

"Alyssa…" He murmured, afraid to say too much incase she really decided to curse him.

She looked at him, her eyes traveling over his body as if making sure it was really Draco. Then she dropped her hand and reached for the closest thing to her – which happened to be Harry – and wrapped her arms around his waist letting out a sob.

Draco felt tremors pass through his body and his lip curled in anger. Harry didn't know what to do, but didn't touch her, not wanting to risk getting hit by Malfoy.

He stood up, towering over all three of them and his silver eyes went dark as he glared at Harry who flinched under the scrutiny. Draco clenched his jaw as if to spare them any words he was thinking of and glanced briefly at Alyssa before back at Harry.

After glaring at him for what felt like an eternity, Draco shook his head and turned from them to walk away.

After he was out of sight, Ron said, "You've put yourself in a right knot, there, mate."

"I didn't do anything… she just…" He shook his head feeling somewhat ashamed of himself. He knew exactly how he'd feel if he was Draco… and that was too angry to even comprehend into words. "Alyssa, are you okay?" he asked exasperatedly

Her voice was muffled by his stomach but he was able to hear something about a headache. He nodded and hooked his arms around her to get her into a standing position. Her cheeks were bright red and she looked extremely flustered.

"C'mon, I'll walk you to your room, Hermione's not there at the moment."

"How do you know?"

"We talked to her earlier," Ron said quickly. "I'll meet you in the common room, Harry."

Harry looked at Alyssa as she looked back at him. He sighed and nodded his head down the hall signaling that they should move. He draped his arms over her shoulders and they walked slowly back to her room where he helped her get settled in her bed.

"D'you mind telling me what happened?" He asked softly.

Alyssa looked up at him, her head propped up on her pillows. "It was like…" she furrowed her brows in thought, "It was like some sort of vision, I could see what my dad was doing. Has that ever happened to you before?"

"Yes." He answered quietly.

"Have they meant something?"

"Depends on if he knew you had that connection. If he did he could morph that image into what he wanted you to think."

"Oh," Alyssa dropped her head, "I don't think he wanted me to see that… Why did it hurt so much?"

Harry shrugged sitting down at the edge of her bed. He was sure she'd ask him to stay until she fell asleep anyway. "It can be because of the emotion they're feeling as you see them; like if they're really angry. It hurts me too, sometimes."

She nodded and they fell into silence. He wasn't looking at her so he figured that she fell asleep but she spoke suddenly. "Harry, can I ask you something?" He nodded, "Do you like me?"

He opened his mouth right away to reply but she stopped him, "I don't mean as a friend."

He hesitated, thinking of an answer, and not really looking at her – more at the spot on her blanket right beside her right elbow.

"I don't know… and you holding me right in front of your boyfriend isn't really helping the situation."

Alyssa slapped herself on the forehead then winced realizing she still had a headache. "He's probably real pissed at me now."

"I doubt he's thinking of ripping your head off though…" They fell into silence again, both thinking of the question she just asked him. "Look, I don't really know how I feel… I'm a bit confused… and I think we both need some rest right now." He said tiredly.

She nodded in agreement and said goodnight to him, and that he didn't need to wait for her to fall asleep. After he left she curled up on her side staring at the fireplace that was now filled with sizzling embers. She slightly regretted asking him if he liked her, but it'd been on her mind since they danced together at Christmas and she felt if she didn't ask him sooner or later that she might be leading him on, and she certainly didn't want that. And now things weren't any better with Draco being angry with her. She hadn't been in the right state of mind when she reached for Harry, and she thought Draco was someone else… a certain someone else. And after Draco's reaction she was pretty sure he knew exactly who that someone was. It was going to be hard, she knew, but somehow she'd have to get him to forgive her. He would, wouldn't he? Well, thinking of it now, holding onto Harry was quite a foolish thing to do right in front of Draco, after nearly _cursing_ Draco. She nodded at the fireplace, reassuring herself that he'd forgive her.

After waking up, Alyssa took a quick shower, grabbed a mug of coffee and went straight to Draco's room. She knocked on the door rapidly and loud but wasn't surprised when he didn't answer.

"Draco – it's me. Could you open the door, I want to talk to you." She twisted the knob but it was locked. He never locked the door!

"Draco, come on! If you'd just let me apologize… I didn't mean to… well, you know. Just open the door so I can explain!" She stood impatiently for a few minutes then started banging on the door, "If you don't open this door now, I'm going to _blast_ it down!"

She pulled her wand and just as she pointed it at the door, it opened. Except instead of seeing Draco she was met with Blaise.

"What the hell is going on? Couldn't you just wait? I was in the shower for Merlin's sake!" He stood in front of her, his hair dripping wet and still containing bubbles in it, clutching a towel at his waist.

"Why are you taking a shower here?"

"Because all the stupid blokes in my wing have decided to occupy all the showers… Coincidentally at the same time."

"Oh," Alyssa simply said, lowering her wand. "Well, where's Draco?"

"Flying I think. He's in a right foul mood. But the Quidditch season is starting up soon again anyway, so he might as well be out there."

"The Quidditch season is starting?" Alyssa asked curiously, only pushing Draco's 'foul mood' to the back of her mind for a brief second.

Blaise nodded, causing several drops of water to run down his face. He wiped them away absentmindedly, "Yeah, we're playing against Gryffindor soon, just one game before that." He said with a smirk on his face.

"That's cool… well I'm going to find Draco, carry on." She said nodding at him and poking him in the abdomen. He smiled at her before shutting the door.

Alyssa sighed and didn't even move to grab her cloak before heading straight to the Quidditch pitch. It took her a full seven minutes, yes she kept track, to get to the partings in the stands where she could look up at the pitch from below. She searched the clear blue sky looking for any sign of him. She could see a black spot, though a bit larger than that, soaring high above where she was standing. She was wondering what Draco could possibly be wearing so that he was barely visible above the dark color of his broom.

Now that Alyssa thought of it, she'd barely watched him fly before. Yes, she'd attended some of his matches, but those times he was just chasing after a Snitch. Now he was _really _flying. Letting his emotions control what movements he made through the wind. He was an excellent flier; he made elegant swerves and loops in the air without even a spot of much effort. She could even feel her heart race as he spiraled towards the ground at top speed, and then pull up just before he crashed.

She stepped further out into the field so if he ever looked at the ground he'd notice her. And it seemed he did not too long after she moved. Alyssa watched as he slowed down and hovered a good fifty feet above her as if contemplating if he should go down or not. But he must have decided he would and he soared down only to hover where she was standing.

She was right with what he was wearing. He was dressed in a white button down shirt and a pair of jeans. It was no wonder she only really saw his broom.

"Hey," She said, smiling brightly yet grimaced as he didn't exactly return it back. "I see you're angry with me." He looked away briefly, then back at her face as if that was all the answer she needed.

"I'm really sorry. I'm not going to use not being in the right state of mind as an excuse, because it isn't." He was still silent and got off his broom. She faltered – at least with him hovering she was able to feel a bit at ease. But now he was standing close and towering above her, intimidating her.

"What I saw – which I'm sure you know already – made me think you were someone else, and I just reacted. I didn't mean to, and Harry…" she took a deep breath and noticed as he visibly stiffened at the name. "Harry is just someone I've gone to when I needed someone."

"You've been with him before, then?" He asked angrily. She examined his face, the graceful features of his face were now contorted with anger and she realized she hadn't seen him this angry since he beat the shit out of Ron. She shifted uncomfortably, realizing that this conversation made it sound like she _cheated_ on him or something.

"I just – I feel like I can talk about these things with him -"

"And you can't talk about it with me?" He demanded.

She glared at him then, "How dare you say that to me?" She asked quietly. "I am here for you as much as someone can be for anyone, and you _barely _ever talk to me about _anything_!" She would've said never except for that recent revelation when he told her about the Death Eater thing.

"But you know how I'm completely against him; you know how I'd feel – how I do feel – if you were to go to him. Why not go to someone else – like -"

"Like who? Blaise? I'm sure that'd go over well, 'I don't know exactly what to tell you Alyssa, but how 'bout a shot or two, get things going – and maybe if you'd fancy a snog -'"

"Stop it." Draco growled. Alyssa's mouth snapped shut. "Don't turn this around on me; you're the one who's been going behind my back -"

"Behind your back?!" Alyssa shouted, "I've spoken to him ONCE and all of a sudden you've developed some sort of interest just because I decided to – to -"

"Of course I've developed an interest! You're my girlfriend for Merlin's sake! You expect me not to care when you touch someone else? Even when you lay your eyes on someone else? I'm always going to care!" He was practically shouting at the top of his lungs, and if he wasn't towering over her before, he was now. She was standing practically nose to chest and his broom had fallen to the floor completely forgotten.

"And why's that?" She demanded haughtily.

"Because I _care about you_!" He shouted, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Alyssa took a step back and looked away, completely taken aback. What was with these declarations all of a sudden? She felt like she was losing her mind.

"I don't know what it takes to get you to realize that, but I'm feeling like I've got to hit you over the head or something to get you to understand."

"You don't have to hit me over the head." Alyssa said quickly.

"Then what do I have to do?"

"I think you just made it clear, thanks." She said, to her utter surprise he actually laughed. He laughed at her response. She didn't seem to think it was so funny. She thought maybe it was just because he was so angry at her that it kind of just came out awkwardly as a laugh. But then after hearing what he just said she realized he never really was angry with her at the first place. Sure, he was upset, but it was because he cared about her. And as cheesy as it sounded it actually made sense. She crossed her arms over her chest deep in thought; so this was another declaration of said caring. She thought of that night again, where she almost said that thing.

_That whole 'I'm falling in love with you' thing._

Yes, she was falling in love with him – and hard. And she'd almost nearly said it that night after the whole week of 'no sex'. She would've gone on and said it too if she didn't know he'd completely freak. She wasn't sure if anyone had said 'I love you' to him in his life, and if she had said it to him, she most definitely wasn't going to get it back. He'd probably never said the words either; maybe he didn't even know how to say it?

"Are you mad at me then?" Alyssa asked politely.

Draco looked up from the ground to her face, "Of course not… but I'm still going to rip off Potter's head." He finished with a smirk. So he hadn't really been mad that she thought he was Lucius, but more at the fact that she'd gone to Harry instead of him.

"You're ridiculous." She muttered, rolling her eyes.

"You love it." He drawled. She dropped her arms to her sides and nearly said 'You have no idea' before closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. He returned the gesture, gripping her tightly around the waist and resting his chin on her head.

"I don't want you to ever believe that I'd ever even _think_ about anyone else when I'm with you." She murmured against his chest. He sighed and gripped her tighter; not wanting to ever let go.

"It's that stupid git; he can't keep his hands off you." Draco said calmly.

Alyssa sighed, "It wasn't his fault. It was stupid of me to just – latch onto him like that."

"I frightened you."

She shook her head, "No you didn't; what I _saw _frightened me."

"What exactly did you see?" He asked slowly. He loosened his hold on her and backed away a bit so he could look at her face.

"Our dads planning something… I don't know what, though. It wasn't specific enough. They were pissed though… I could feel it." She said rubbing the side of her head.

He suddenly looked triumphant, "Ah – see, I _did _frighten you because you thought I was Lucius."

"But I obviously realized you weren't or I would've cursed the wits out of you," She said with a shrug. "And it's not like you don't look a _thing _like him. Only Malfoy's have that ugly blonde hair of yours."

Draco hit a hand to his chest and his mouth fell opened, "Now _that_ hurts. I thought you were obsessed with my hair." He suggested while self consciously running a hand through his hair. "Whenever I make you moan you grab onto it like it's the only thing holding you to the planet."

"Draco!" Alyssa scolded, blushing and slapping him in the chest. She wasn't so used to him being all playful all of a sudden.

"Maybe you should tell Dumbledore." He said suddenly. Now she was confused; she looked up at him with her brows furrowed.

"Tell him I'm obsessed with your hair?"

He scrunched up his face, "No, about the vision," He said very slowly as if talking to someone with some mental disability.

"Oh, right – my bad." Alyssa said shaking her head at her own stupidity. She then suggested they head back to the castle anyway since it was sort of cold out. She waited until Draco put his broom away then together they headed back inside. Once inside Draco offered to walk her to Dumbledore's office and on their way they happened to meet professor McGonagall.

"Oh - professor!" Alyssa called.

McGonagall stopped and looked at her, "Yes, Ms. Bennington, how can I help you?"

"Is Dumbledore in his office?"

She waited patiently before she received her answer, "I'm sorry, Ms. Bennington. But he's left for a personal matter. Is this urgent?" She moved her hands to her hips as she surveyed Alyssa, completely ignoring Draco.

"Um, well – no. Do you know when he'll be getting back?"

"Sorry, but I do not." She watched as Alyssa lowered her head and frowned, "Is there anything I can help you with, dear?"

Alyssa pursed her lips thinking of whether she could or should tell her about the vision or not. But a better idea popped into her head, "Yes, actually. Could you get in touch with my brother? I know you could before my owl would and I really need to talk to him."

Professor McGonagall nodded her head, "As soon as I can, dear. Have a good afternoon." And with that she turned away and continued on down the hallway. Alyssa looked helplessly at Draco who also seemed to be frowning. "I'll tell my brother as soon as he reaches me, I don't know what else to do until then." She said with a shrug. Draco nodded and they left to go back to his room. Hopefully Brad would know what to do about this. She had gotten quite anxious when Harry told her that he'd had the same things and _could _ultimately lead to something. And if her vision _was _real, that only meant that what she'd been dreading for months was about to happen – if only she knew when, and if only Dumbledore was there. He was specifically mentioned in what she saw and him not being at Hogwarts only meant that there actually was a possibility that her vision was true.

Brad didn't reach Alyssa till the day before Valentine's Day - which meant that she'd been a nervous wreck since she had first seen the vision. He'd nearly scared her to death when he randomly popped up in the Great Hall while she was eating dinner.

"What the HELL is wrong with you?" She shouted, causing the entire Gryffindor table and some of the other houses to look at her as if she had three heads.

Brad grabbed at her arm impatiently and she nearly fell out of her seat. "Ginny, grab my stuff!" She called as he proceeded to pull her out of the Great Hall.

"Look, I'm really sorry I couldn't get to you sooner but something came up with the dragons back in Romania. They needed me there for a few days." He said in a rush once they reached the doors.

"Whatever; as long as you came at all, I guess." She drawled.

He scoffed loudly, "What is you needed to tell me?"

Alyssa looked around them noticing there were too many students to possibly tell him about her vision there. So instead she asked him to go back to her room so she could tell him there.

He sat down on the couch in front of the empty fireplace and tried to ignore it when Alyssa waved her hand towards it, lighting it up. Slowly, and with as much detail as she could, Alyssa recounted what exactly she'd seen in her vision. Once she finished she stood in front of him, waiting to see what he had to say. His brows were furrowed in thought and she suddenly realized he looked more worn out than usual. His hair, though still messy as usual, was a bit flat and thin and even the clothes he was wearing were baggy and he never really wore baggy clothes unless he was sick. There must've really been a problem with those dragons.

"Does anyone know about this?" He asked suddenly.

"Draco, Harry and Ron," She rolled her eyes at his disapproving look, "They all saw it happen! It's not like I did it on purpose!"

He ignored this with a dismissive wave of the hand and said, "Do they have any explanation?"

"Well Harry says that it's happened to him before… and that it can sometimes mean something."

Brad nodded, "Yes, it can. What about Dumbledore, does he know?"

Alyssa sighed impatiently, "He hasn't been at school which makes me even more nervous that the vision is true! Dad said that Dumbledore wouldn't be here and he isn't!"

"Which means -"

"Which means this could be happening soon! Why do I seem to be the only one who's freaked out about this shit?" She shouted.

Brad stood up and grabbed her shoulders, "Everything will be okay. I'll just warn the Heads of houses to be alert about anything… unusual." He seemed to be talking more to himself than to Alyssa, "And we'll have to tighten up security, wards, all that…"

"Brad, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He looked confused at her question, "I don't know what you mean,"

"Well – I just figured you'd be a little more… worried or something." She suggested.

A frown fell on his face, "Of course I'm worried, but we don't know what to expect – if the vision is even real… so we might as well keep calm about this." Alyssa nodded trying to agree. But she couldn't help but freak out at the thought that there could possibly be an attack on her coming soon. And with Dumbledore gone… she didn't even want to think of the possibilities.

She tried adding up different parts of what she saw; Dumbledore won't be present, it must be in a public area that other students would be present. What could it be, then?

"Death Eater's can't get into the school, can they?"

Brad shook his head at once. "There's too many protective wards cast on the castle, you can't apparate in or out, and there'd be too many people around at any of the entrances to ever just _walk_ in without being seen – not to mention that Dumbledore always knows what goes on in the school."

"But Dumbledore won't be here!" Alyssa shouted causing Brad to jump.

After recovering he nodded, "Which is why I need to tell the teachers what's going on." He looked at Alyssa as if he needed her permission, "I'll do that now, if you don't mind." Alyssa nodded and took his spot on the couch once he stood up and left. She pressed her face into her hands and sighed heavily. What could her dad be planning? Where would she be, with loads of other students – and teachers, without Dumbledore being present, and not inside the castle itself?

She gasped as she thought of a possibility: a Quidditch match.

When Alyssa got herself to the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning, she wasn't surprised at all to see the place decked out in various shades of pink. The only chatter that could really be heard was coming from girls who were giggling manically. She rolled her eyes to see most boys looking miserable as they ate their breakfast, and sat at her usual seat next to Harry. She was surprised, though, to see that Ginny, Ron and Hermione were missing from the table. They were usually the first to arrive. She nudged Harry who was immersed in a conversation with Seamus while eating eggs.

"Where is everyone?"

He smiled slyly at her, "Getting there Valentine's, I'm sure." Alyssa rolled her eyes and began to eat.

Brad hadn't even stayed the night. Whatever was happening in Romania still needed his attention so he left as soon as he notified the teachers to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Alyssa had hoped that he would stay at least for a little bit; she had been really nervous without Dumbledore at the school, and when Brad arrived she felt a little bit soothed, a bit safer. And now he was gone again.

"Harry, when's the next Quidditch match?" She asked quietly.

He swallowed a mouthful of food before answering, "Not till the beginning of March, depending on the weather of course."

Alyssa was somewhat relieved by that news. Dumbledore _had _to be back by then. Just then Ginny arrived, sitting across from Alyssa. She kicked her bag underneath the table and grabbed for a glass of pumpkin juice. After gulping it down she loaded food onto her plate and ate it very fast, shoving forkful after forkful into her mouth.

"Hungry?" Alyssa asked.

"Just a bit," Ginny replied after gulping down some more pumpkin juice.

Alyssa turned around to glance at the Slytherin table; Blaise had just sat down and was grabbing for his own food. She turned back to look at Ginny with a smirk.

"Busy with Blaise then?" She asked. Ginny who couldn't answer because of the mouth in her food resorted to answering with a nod.

"How long have you been involved with him, Gin?" Harry asked.

Ginny sent him a brief glare, "What's it matter, gonna go tell Ron or something?" She asked suspiciously.

Harry rolled her eyes and glared back, "No, I'm just asking. Completely innocent," He said.

She seemed to approve of this and Alyssa tuned them out as they went into a conversation on what was going on with her and Blaise and how he was dragging her away from classes to spend the day in Hogsmeade. She concentrated on eating her breakfast until Ron and Hermione came and sat down while having an argument.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and sat up before she could hear anything, "I'm _really _getting a head start to classes today." She mumbled before leaving the Great Hall. She was nearly ran over once she reached the doors though, because a boy who was about half her height was sprinting away from a girl all dressed in pink with her arms outstretched.

"James!" She called, "Come back!" She could've been thirteen, Alyssa thought, and watched as the girl ran past, running after the boy.

_I hate Valentine's Day._

As Alyssa sat at Gryffindor table at dinner later that evening, she ran a tired hand over her face. It was a stressful day; she'd gotten loads of homework from all of her classes, took some pretty hard tests, and was already still freaking out because of the vision. She knew there was a possibility it wouldn't be true, and she knew like Brad said that freaking out about it was completely useless, but she really couldn't help it. And it didn't help that Brad seemed to find it unnecessary to contact her; didn't he know how freaked she was?

She sighed and poked her food around her plate. Subconsciously she turned and looked over at the Slytherin table. Draco was sitting in his usual seat next to Blaise who was leaning over to tell him something. Draco nodded absentmindedly as he ate his food, and eventually glanced up as if sensing Alyssa was watching him. He tightened his lips at her as if offering a smile and she did the same before turning around. She sighed heavily again before standing up to leave, ignoring the curious looks as she went. She went back towards her common room and sat on the couch in front of the fire. She really wanted to just relax…

She must've drifted off to sleep because when Alyssa's eyes opened again she was slumped over on the couch and her mouth was really dry. Something must've woken her up though; she'd been really tired earlier and thought that if she were to fall asleep she would've been there for the night. She stretched in her seat and yelped as her head bumped into something. Craning her neck she realized she'd bumped into a thigh clad in dark jeans and looking up she was met with Draco's silver eyes.

"Hello," He said quietly, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Alyssa sighed and closed her eyes, "It's fine, I don't even know how long I was out." Draco nodded as she sat up and stretched some more. Scoffing, she said, "I need some coffee."

"Figured as much when I found you sleeping," Draco said, he reached forward towards the coffee table and grabbed a mug and handed it to her. He had already taken the liberty of getting her coffee. Alyssa couldn't help but feel a bit warmer inside before she even sipped the coffee. She smiled brightly and murmured a thank you before cuddling up towards him and sipping from her mug. She couldn't help but notice that Draco seemed shy about something. Whenever she usually cuddled up with him he'd drape his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer. But as she rested her head on his shoulder, draped her legs over his lap and tucked her hand into his arm, he sat rigid as if completely distracted about something.

"Is something wrong?" She asked softly, taking another sip of coffee.

He shook his head and looked over at her causing his hair to fall in front of his eyes. He studied her face and she removed her hand from his arm to brush the hairs away.

"I have to show you something." He said finally.

She furrowed her brows but nodded and removed her legs from his lap. He was the first to stand and reached out to her and helped her up from the couch. He didn't let go of her hand as he led her to his bedroom and pushed her to sit on the edge of his bed. Suddenly Alyssa's stomach dropped, _he didn't really get me anything did he?_ She rolled her eyes; of course he'd get her something even though she told him not to.

But as she watched his movements she felt confused. He seemed nervous about something as he walked towards his dresser and pulled out a box. He was oddly quiet as he crossed the room and went back to sit across from her.

"Now I know you told me not to get you anything," he held up a hand as she opened her mouth, "I hadn't intended on getting you anything… but when I found this, and I found the charm to go with it… I couldn't help it." He removed the lid from the box but it was still in his hands shielding her view from whatever it was. She was getting nervous not sure of what to expect.

"I didn't want you thinking I'd shower you with gifts just because I can," He continued, his eyes moved from the box to rest on her face and once again that unreadable emotion was in his eyes. "But I did mean what I said when I told you I care about you, and I think that this is something that'll really make sure you know that."

Alyssa stayed silent, unsure of what to say. His hand dipped into the box and pulled out a long dark chain that held onto a large round ruby. It looked dull instead of being shiny, not in a bad way but in a way that made it seem very old and vintage.

"It's charmed so that when it's touching your skin it'll glow if…" He glanced away from her as if hesitant on what he was about to say, "Well… you'll figure it out."

He handed it to her and she gasped for once it touched the palm of her hand it began to glow. She looked up at Draco, a complete loss for words, and he looked barely surprised to see that it was already glowing and at once she knew why it was glowing: it meant he was thinking of her.

"It's glowing because you…" She started but stopped once he nodded. She smiled broadly and choked down a sob as she continued to look at the necklace. The ruby took up just about the entire face of her palm and without hesitation she threw the chain over her head and put it on. It fell on her breastplate and still proceeded to glow as it touched the skin that was revealed through the opened buttons of her blouse.

Alyssa practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could and tried so hard not to just collapse into a fit of tears. "Thank you _so _much, Draco." Though even saying those words didn't even come close to how grateful she really truly felt, how at that moment she just wanted to be with him forever.

Her heart nearly stopped beating and she pulled away to look at him briefly before kissing him hard on the lips. She knew she couldn't tell him she loved him right then and there, for the same reason she couldn't tell him last time. But she tried to communicate it as best as she could through the kiss they were currently sharing.

It seemed like he could tell, though. Draco suddenly pulled away from her, his brows furrowed and his eyes poured into her own. She felt that familiar probing and closed her eyes cutting off whatever connection he was trying to make with her.

"You don't need to do that." She said quietly, partly hating the fact that he was trying to use Legilimens on her to see what she was thinking. She opened her eyes again and looked back down at her necklace which was still glowing. She looked back up at him and kissed him again, scooting closer so she was in his lap. He ran his hands over her waist and held onto her tightly; adjusting their bodies so her legs were now wrapped around his waist. She removed her mouth from his and trailed it down his jaw to his neck and squeezed her arms hard around his shoulders.

Suddenly she loved Valentine's Day.

* * *

**A/N:** i'm now nearing the climax of the story! so chapters will be coming out probably more quickly than usual since i've been planning on what's to happen for a _very _long time and i'm almost already finished with the next chapter. which also means at this point that reviews are much more than welcomed as i'd love to really get some feedback on these most recent chapters!

hope you're enjoying the story!


	16. Chapter 16

It was only with much dread that Alyssa attended the first Quidditch match of the season. It was Slytherin versus Ravenclaw, and Alyssa sat at the back of the stands with Ginny nearly shaking with fear. She'd told Brad about her theory of an attack during a match. _Clearly _he thought she was out of her mind. According to him, there was way too many risks, too many students, too many teachers, and of course the question of how could they possibly get away? But Alyssa had insisted until she practically ran out of breath.

So now she sat in the stands – trembling – and not because of the cool wind that whipped around them.

"What's got you in a fuss all of a sudden?" Ginny demanded. Alyssa had not told her about the vision. Not because she didn't want to include her, but she felt that Draco, Harry and Ron (and of course, Brad) were more than enough people knowing what was going on. She felt extremely uncomfortable telling Brad about it, and was sure that with Ginny it'd be much worse.

"N-not feeling well I guess." Alyssa replied, forcing a smile. She held her cloak closer to her body as she looked up into the sky at Draco who was soaring above them concentrating on finding the Snitch. The necklace he gave her was tucked safely inside her shirt; she had barely taken it off since he gave it to her save for her showers. At first she wore it hanging loosely around her blouse, but soon realized how distracting it became if it were to glow in the middle of class. She'd already gotten ten points taken away from her by Snape for causing said distraction, but only to the mere amusement of Draco, so she kept it beneath her shirt most of the time.

The game lasted only about forty-five minutes, ending when Draco caught the Snitch soaring above the Ravenclaw hoops. He met the rest of the team at the center of the field raising their fists triumphantly in the air as if to show the Gryffindors what was coming to them. Alyssa and Ginny were the only ones in the Gryffindor section to applaud, and as students turned around to glare at them they swiftly stood up and made their way back to the school.

Once Alyssa reached the doors she let out a huge sigh of relief and flexed her fingers as the shaking in them began to settle down.

"Let's get some hot chocolate!" Ginny said enthusiastically rubbing her hands together. She grabbed Alyssa by the elbow and dragged her into the Great Hall where students were gathering for lunch.

They sat down across from each other as usual, and Alyssa found herself surprised to see Harry sitting next to her already eating his food.

"You didn't go to the match?" She asked curiously.

He reached for his goblet of pumpkin juice while shaking his head, "No, I was talking with Dumbledore."

Alyssa jumped out of her seat, "Dumbledore's here!" She exclaimed grabbing Harry's arm causing him to dribble pumpkin juice down his chin. She muttered an apology as he wiped it away.

"It's fine," He said, waving a dismissive hand, "And yes – he's here. If you go to his office the password is 'Chocolate Frogs,'"

She stood up straight away without even a glance at her hot chocolate and nearly sprinted to Dumbledore's office. She muttered the password and the gargoyle jumped out of the way, leading her to a spiral staircase. She climbed up it as fast as she could but winced as a cramp pinched her side.

"Come in." A voice said after she knocked on the door. Alyssa opened it to see Dumbledore seated at his desk wearing pale blue robes and a tall hat, his eyes twinkling as usual.

"Ah, Ms. Bennington," He motioned for her to sit down across from him and she took the seat, "How may I help you?"

Alyssa didn't even think of hesitating, "I had a vision of my dad, and Lucius Malfoy." She said quickly.

"Yes, your brother has told me about this." He said lightly, a serious expression suddenly coming on his face.

She furrowed her brows, "He failed to mention that," She said darkly. "I've been wanting to tell you for nearly weeks."

"I must apologize; there've been some matters that have required my attention." Alyssa nodded, not needing an explanation and shifted in her seat.

"Well, I guess he's filled you in with the details?" Dumbledore nodded, "It's just… I've been thinking of a possibility, sir."

"And what is that?" He asked politely and after seeing her squirm he added, "There's no need to feel uncomfortable, Ms. Bennington, feel free to say what you wanted."

Alyssa nodded and tried to relax as best she could. "I've been putting together the details, sir. I figured whatever kind of attack they're planning it'll be in a pretty public place, considering that the students' safety was brought up. And also the fact that Death Eaters can't exactly just walk into Hogwarts… I was thinking… maybe they could be planning their attack for a Quidditch match?"

She winced as she finished the sentence but was relieved to see when she looked at Dumbledore he seemed to be regarding this as a serious possibility.

"I'm sure you're quite aware of the complications that would arise if that was their plan." He said, she nodded in agreement, "But I will take this into consideration, and take the necessary precautions."

Alyssa smiled broadly, happy that someone seemed to be taking her at least somewhat seriously. "Thank you, sir." She said as she stood up from the chair.

"You're very welcome, Ms. Bennington." He said with a curt nod, "Have a good afternoon,"

The next morning Alyssa woke up alone in Draco's room. She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window; it was very cloudy outside, blocking out the sun and casting a dark appearance as if it were only dawn. After brushing her teeth and getting dressed she decided to go for a walk. Once she got outside she was thankful she brought her cloak for it was raining steadily over the grounds. She flipped up her hood and walked slowly around the lake. After leaving Dumbledore's office the previous day, Alyssa had felt much more confident, much _safer_, than she had in days. If Dumbledore really took measures to make sure nothing would happen at the next Quidditch match, she was positive nothing would.

After walking around the lake she sat down under the large tree, momentarily blocking her from the rain, and crossed her legs underneath her. She got that familiar feeling and looked down to see that her necklace was glowing through her thin shirt. It was barely a minute later of persistent glowing when Draco and Blaise suddenly appeared next to her. They were both wearing sweatpants and t-shirts, and were sweating, red in the face and breathing heavy.

"What have you two been doing?" Alyssa said, eyeing them. She stood up as Draco rested a hand on the tree.

Blaise ran a tired hand over his face, "Training o'course. Got to get in shape; big game coming up." He smiled his usual goofy grin and lifted his shirt to wipe at the sweat dripping off his forehead.

Her eyes darted from Blaise to Draco who was still panting. "You okay, there?"

Draco smirked at her, "You kidding? I'm in better shape than him." He said jutting his thumb at Blaise who looked outright affronted.

"Better than me? I don't think so." He turned towards Draco and lifted up his shirt, "Look at these abs!" Alyssa rolled her eyes; boys never changed. "You wish you had abs like this."

"Oh, please." Draco drawled, "Look here," He stepped forward and reached for his shirt before Alyssa reached forward and slapped his hand away. They both looked at her clearly startled.

"You boys and your machismo," She snapped, "You might as well pull out a ruler right now." Blaise suddenly sent her a wolfish grin, "I was only joking!"

"Whatever," said Blaise, though he was still smiling, "I'm gonna hit the showers, enjoy." He sent Alyssa a wink, clapped Draco on the back heavily and walked back towards the castle. Alyssa watched Draco whose breathing returned back to normal though his face was still red. His hair was everywhere and the rain caused his shirt to cling soaked to his body. At noticing her stare, Draco sent her a smirk causing her to roll her eyes.

"How long have you been doing this training, then?" She asked curiously.

He shrugged and he glanced towards her chest where the necklace he gave her was glowing. "A couple weeks, I suppose. I've got the whole team doing it; preparing for the next match."

Alyssa nodded her head knowing that he meant the game against Gryffindor. Draco reached forward suddenly and wrapped his sweaty arm around her shoulders, directing her back towards the castle.

"You stink." She said. He merely shrugged and looked up into the sky as the rain fell on them.

Later that night, when Alyssa arrived at the Great Hall for dinner, she was extremely surprised to see that Brad was seated up at the staff table. He looked much better than the last time she saw him, as if he'd gotten a few good, full nights of sleep. He was seated next to and chatting excitedly with professor McGonagall and after seeing Alyssa's glance he waved at her. She waved back and continued to eat her dinner.

"So what's that necklace thing about, anyway?" Ginny asked suddenly, her fork outstretched and jutting at the necklace that was now glowing.

"Draco gave it to me for Valentine's Day," Alyssa said quietly, a blush rising to her cheeks. "It's charmed so that it glows whenever he… whenever he thinks of me." She blocked the persistent blush by grabbing the cup in front of her and chugging down her drink. If she was expecting a disapproving look when she lowered her cup, she didn't receive it. Instead, Ginny had an almost… sad expression on her face.

"That's so sweet," She said, her voice higher pitched than usual. "And so… er - not Malfoy-ish."

Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and subconsciously looked over her shoulder to look at Draco. She turned back around to look at Ginny.

"So has Harry got you running around like lunatics now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw Draco and Blaise after running or something… they're training for the next Quidditch match." After saying this Ginny's face fell as if that was the last thing she was expecting from the Slytherins.

She muttered a curse under her breath and said, "I'll have to tell Harry later. He'll be wiggin', no doubt."

"Harry will be wiggin' about what?" Both Ginny and Alyssa looked up sharply as Harry sat down and pulled a plate towards him.

"Malfoy's got his team training for the Quidditch match – which means we've got to get our butt's in gear." Ginny said.

Harry looked up at her, his fork paused in midair, "Wait – _you _haven't been training? Ginny – the team has _been_ doing the same thing."

Ginny sat gaping like a fish, and slowly but surely a deep, scarlet blush rose to her cheeks. "Please tell me you've been doing _something_?" Harry pleaded.

Alyssa scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Not unless you count sex."

Ginny turned, if possible, an even darker shade of red and tried covering it up by reaching for her bag under the table as if looking for something.

The morning of the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match was a warm and sunny day. Alyssa dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt bearing the Gryffindor colors and met Hermione at the doors of the Entrance hall. With any thoughts of her dad shoved to the back of her mind, they made their way to the pitch. Alyssa had convinced Hermione to go with her earlier so she could say good luck to Draco before the game.

When they got there, Draco was already waiting outside the locker rooms for her and Hermione waited at the entrance to the stands.

Alyssa surveyed him as she walked towards him. He was already dressed in his Slytherin Quidditch robes and she thought they made quite the contrasting pair. Her in Gryffindor colors, him in Slytherin; her black hair, his white-blonde; his height, her lack thereof.

He greeted her with a tight embrace. "Ready for the game?" She asked. He merely smirked at her and nodded against the side of her head. She closed her eyes and squeezed onto him a bit tighter.

"Something wrong?" He asked, pulling away slightly. "You seem more nervous than I am."

Alyssa shrugged, "I'm fine," but continued when he gave her a look, "I'm serious. And don't think about me – you've got a game to play." She said poking him in the chest.

Draco nodded, his face suddenly becoming tough with concentration. "I'll know if you're lying," She added, touching her hand to his necklace that was tucked under her shirt. He smirked again and bent down to give her a soft kiss.

"Which side are you cheering for then?" He asked wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

She laughed, "I'm not too sure, actually. We'll just see who wins."

"When _we _win," He corrected.

She smiled and rolled her eyes, "Good luck." She said and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. She tugged on the hems of his robes nervously as he looked down at her and reluctantly turned away and walked back to Hermione.

Together, she and Hermione sat at the very front row of the Gryffindor section. Students began filing in and it wasn't long before practically the entire school sat in anticipation. Madam Hooch suddenly appeared in the center of the pitch with the crate of balls and the school erupted into loud cheers as the Gryffindor and Slytherin team made their way out. Harry and Draco, both being captains of their teams, stood in the very center facing each other with Hooch. Alyssa looked around to see Ginny, her blood red hair being whipped around by the wind, standing directly opposite Blaise who wiggled his fingers teasingly at her. She made no sign to return it but Alyssa could tell she was blushing and saw Ron visibly scoff behind her.

Draco and Harry stepped forward, shook hands, and mounted their brooms along with the rest of the team. Alyssa's heart fluttered; the whistle echoed around the stands and the teams soared upwards into the air – Draco and Harry at the very top.

The game began.

There was a blur of red and green as the players crowded among each other with the Quaffle and Bludgers whipping around through the air.

"You okay, Alyssa?" Hermione called, bringing Alyssa out of her sudden trance.

"Yea, why?"

"Well – you just seem a bit… tense is all." Hermione gestured at her with her hand and Alyssa looked down at herself. She hadn't realized that she was practically leaning over the edge of the stands, her hands clenching the railing so tight that her knuckles were turned white.

"Oh," she laughed nervously before sitting back in her seat, "Just excited, I guess."

"-And Ginny Weasley has scored sending Gryffindor in the lead ten to _zero_!" Luna Lovegood shouted airily from the announcers' box. The majority of the stands stood up cheering her on and Ginny sent high fives to her teammates before the Quaffle was sent back out again.

Alyssa and Hermione jumped up clapping and cheering with the rest of Gryffindor and Alyssa resumed her position of leaning over the banister. She looked up at Harry who was shouting directions at the team below him and then resumed soaring over the pitch looking for at least a shimmer of the snitch. She looked up at Draco who was also looking around and would look at Harry every now and then.

"Get out of the way, Bennington!" Alyssa turned around to see that she was blocking Dean's view of the game and she muttered an apology and sat back down.

Suddenly the Slytherin section roared with cheers and Gryffindor moaned; they were now tied.

Forty-five minutes later found Slytherin narrowly in the lead seventy to sixty, and there was still no sign of the snitch. Both Harry and Draco were getting frustrated and were now flying around the entire pitch, leaving their positions at the top.

Gryffindor cheered as Ron dove and caught the Quaffle and he threw it back out to Ginny who weaved her way through the Slytherins. Blaise was tailing her waiting for his opportunity; he suddenly dove underneath her and pulled upwards, stealing the Quaffle right out of her hands. She cursed loudly and took off after him. Seamus, who was hovering above the Hufflepuff section, sent a Bludger tearing after Blaise head on. He saw it coming moments before it would smack him in the face and barreled over dropping the Quaffle into Ginny's outstretched hands.

The Gryffindor section erupted into cheers once again as Ginny flew towards the Slytherin end and pegged the Quaffle into one of the hoops.

The game was tied again, seventy-seventy.

Hermione suddenly grabbed Alyssa's shoulder. "What?" She snapped and looked over to see Hermione pointing up in the air.

"Harry and Malfoy have spotted the Snitch!" Luna shouted from above.

Alyssa looked up; Draco and Harry were neck and neck chasing the Snitch. Many students stood up now, trying to get a better look and the whole stands screamed and cheered them on. The Slytherin section all ducked as Harry and Draco flew above them and split apart as they neared the teachers section. Hermione's hand was still on her shoulder with a vice-like grip and Alyssa was leaning so far over the banister, she could've fallen off if someone gave her a light tap.

The people behind her were all standing up and cheering for Harry. Their hands were now outstretched as they streaked through the middle of the pitch, still next to each other, their shoulders even touching.

Suddenly Draco stopped short. Harry didn't even notice as he continued to tear after the Snitch.

"What's he doing?" Hermione shouted.

Alyssa stared at him; he seemed to be looking down at something and she gasped as she felt that familiar feeling of his necklace, she looked down and lifted up her sweater – it was indeed glowing. She looked back at Draco, he pulled up his broom so sharply she was surprised he didn't fall off of it, and he took off in her direction.

"What the _hell_ is he doing?" Hermione shouted again.

Alyssa's heart sped up, Harry still had no idea what was going on and the students became quiet and confused as Draco sped towards her. Alyssa looked around the grounds to see what he saw and found a dark figure standing at the bottom of the pitch – his wand outstretched.

"Draco – NO!" Alyssa screamed.

In mere seconds, Draco was right in front of her. A bright blue light clouded her vision and hit Draco in the shoulder, knocking him off his broom. He didn't even shout out as he was sent flying backwards. Students dove out of the way as he crashed through the stands, breaking through the rows of benches.

Alyssa looked towards the teachers section – Dumbledore wasn't there.

She turned back around and started running up the benches to get to him before screams reached her ears. She looked up and another figure clad in long black robes was flying over the stands and dove towards her. She tried to dart out of the way but he grabbed her arm and flung her over his broom, taking off through the pitch.

Students were now screaming and trying to get down the stands and back to the castle. Teachers left their seats and tried to usher them out of the way.

Alyssa was now fifty feet in the air going through the pitch. She fought as hard as she could, punching and slapping him wherever she reached. She threw out her hand and hit him somewhere in the face; he grunted loudly and let go of her. Alyssa slid off the broom and fell fast towards the ground.

_This is it_, she thought, _this is how I go_. She let out a scream as the ground rushed up towards her, images of her crushed body on the ground flying into her mind.

An arm suddenly wrapped itself around her waist, gripping her hard about fifteen feet from the ground. Alyssa went to resume her fighting before she looked up into violent green eyes. Harry was holding on to her, dodging curses as he went. He pulled her farther up, making her sit behind him on his broom. She held onto his waist as tight as she could and when they finally touched the ground they sprinted off the pitch along with the rest of the students.

Harry's grip was hard on her wrist and they didn't stop running until they reached the castle and were safe inside it. Alyssa gasped hard and nearly fell over before Harry grabbed her again, keeping her on her feet.

"Are you okay?" He shouted at her over the rest of the students who were still piling inside the Entrance hall.

"I-I don't know," Alyssa said weakly, "What the _hell_ just happened?"

"Death Eaters. They were at the match. I didn't see what happened to Malfoy – I was still after the Snitch." He held his hand out to her; the Snitch was fluttering in the palm of his hand. "And when I looked up one of them was trying to get off with you on his broom," He explained, "I saw you fall, and just went after you."

Alyssa threw her arms around him, nearly falling over again if it wasn't for his strong hold. She couldn't even utter thanks, what she was feeling was quickly becoming overwhelming.

She pulled away sharply, "What happened to Draco?"

Harry furrowed his brows, "I don't know…" Alyssa's heart sank into her stomach, she suddenly couldn't breathe. Her knees went weak and she pressed her face into the nook of Harry's neck, tears filling her eyes. He held her tightly in his arms. "I'm sure he's fine." He mumbled rubbing her back.

"Alyssa Bennington!" Someone shouted. Alyssa looked up to see professor McGonagall shoving her way through the crowd of students. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right!" She grabbed Alyssa by the elbow drew her away from Harry to look at her head on, as if checking to make sure it was really her.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"I'm okay… Harry caught me." She looked over her shoulder at Harry as he stood up.

"Well done, Potter." She said clapping his shoulder and gripping it tightly, her eyes glistening.

"Where's Draco, Professor?"

"In the hospital wing," She replied, Alyssa got her breath back from the relief, "Professor Snape got to him before any of us did and conjured up a stretcher."

"He's okay… isn't he?"

"You can see him now." She said, instead of answering her question. Alyssa looked back at Harry who nodded at her and she instantly took off shoving students out of her way to get to the hospital wing. When she got there it was filled with students. She spotted out the entire Slytherin Quidditch team and pushed her way through.

Someone grabbed her arm and she whipped around to see Pansy seething with anger.

"You just couldn't stay away from him, could you?" She snapped. "Now _this_ has happened, look what you've done."

Alyssa pulled her wand out of her jeans and pointed it at Pansy directly in between her eyes, "Touch me _again_, Pansy, and I _swear _I will make you regret it." She held up her wand for a few more seconds before turning back around.

Pansy stepped forward, grabbing a handful of Alyssa's hair. Wand forgotten, Alyssa swung back around, her fist raised and punched her in the nose; she could feel the bones crunch beneath her fist and blood instantly began pouring out.

"You boke by 'ose!" Pansy squealed, falling to the floor. Alyssa didn't wait any longer and pushed through the students making her way to the bed everyone was surrounding. Professor Snape was blocking her vision and she could only see Madam Pomfrey waving her wand around.

"Alyssa!" Someone called. Alyssa turned around to see Ginny still in her Quidditch robes pushing through the crowd followed closely by Blaise.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" she exclaimed once she got to Alyssa, and threw her arms around her. "You're okay,"

"I'm fine," Alyssa replied looking over her shoulder. Blaise was continuing to push through and finally stood next to Snape. "Harry caught me just in time."

They pulled away from each other both smiling, but Alyssa turned around again.

"Is he going to be okay, Professor?" Blaise asked Snape.

"He'll be fine," Alyssa sighed with relief, grabbing hold of Ginny's arm. "Once Pomfrey heals him up… it was a close call though." Snape turned to leave and looked down his hooked nose at Alyssa. He was paler than usual, and that was saying something, and the students parted as he left.

Alyssa stepped forward next to Blaise to finally see Draco. He was lying unconscious on the hospital bed. Pomfrey had removed his robes showing off a large, dark, purple bruise over his collar bone and his arm that was bent at an awkward angle. He had cuts along his arms and a large gash running down the side of his face that was still bleeding. Pomfrey walked away for a second then came back with several different vials of potions.

"What happened to him?" Blaise asked.

"Besides a broken arm and collar bone, he's suffering from a concussion." She answered quickly. She waved a wand over the gash on his face several times, at first the blood was cleaned away, and then it slowly seemed to heal itself.

"What does that mean?" Alyssa asked. She was trying so hard not to reach out and touch him, so she settled for holding on tightly to Blaise's hand.

"It means it makes my job harder," Pomfrey said impatiently. She finally threw up her arms and glared at Alyssa and Blaise, "It'd be best if you were to come back at a better time, I have enough distractions." She waved her hand around them indicating the students filling up the hospital wing, and without waiting for them to respond she flicked her wand causing the curtain to shut itself around the bed, concealing Draco.

Alyssa stood still staring at the curtain as if it closing hadn't registered in her mind.

"Well, he's alive." Blaise said with a small smile. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get out of here," Alyssa nodded mutely and left with Blaise and Ginny. Pansy was now sitting on the edge of a bed, crying, with wads of tissues covering her face. Alyssa didn't even make it through the doors before someone _else_ was grabbing her. She yelped as she was pulled sharply from Blaise's grasp and looked up to see her brother. He was breathing heavily and instantly pulled her to his chest, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Alyssa – just heard – thank god you're okay." She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on, feeling the tears coming to surface again. She fought them off as hard as she could but they refused to stay back and fell down her cheeks. "I apparated into Hogsmeade as soon as I got McGonagall's Patronus," Brad pulled away slightly and cupped her face in his hands, "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you."

Alyssa sobbed and even managed to let out a laugh, "I don't care." She pressed her face back into his chest, "As long as you're here."

"What happened out there?" He asked slowly. Alyssa recounted the events and Brad listened to every word with furrowed brows. When she finished, much to her surprise, the first thing he asked was if Draco was all right.

"He's fine; Pomfrey is taking care of him." She'd finally stopped crying and was ready to relax for the day. But it seemed fate had other plans, for soon professor McGonagall came up to her and escorted her to Dumbledore's office. He still wasn't there but McGonagall took a seat at his desk and motioned for Alyssa to sit down. It wasn't long before Alyssa was once again reliving the events of what had just happened. McGonagall made the same explanation as Harry; how Death Eaters were the cause of it, except she knew exactly what happened to Draco. He was chasing the Snitch along with Harry but stopped short when he caught sight of a Death Eater in the stadium. At once he knew to protect Alyssa and flew towards her, blocking her from an oncoming curse.

Alyssa skipped dinner later that evening and instead went to go see if Draco was awake yet. It was a completely different sight then earlier that afternoon; the hospital wing was now void of all the students and candles hovered underneath the ceiling casting a dim glow on the room. Alyssa walked back towards the bed where Draco was in earlier. He was still unconscious – or perhaps just sleeping, she wasn't sure. He was now dressed in pajamas and under the covers. There were still vials of different potions on the nightstand but some of them were now empty. She pulled a chair up to his bedside and grasped his hand in both of hers. His breathing was slow and heavy, but his appearance made him seem perfectly fine. His arm was back to normal, and Alyssa couldn't tell if there was still a bruise on his collar bone. The cuts on his arms were healed and the only things visible on his face were his usual elegant features.

She reached forward and brushed his hair out of his eyes. She felt she could've sat there staring at him forever as he rested peacefully.

"Thanks for protecting me." Alyssa murmured. She looked up at the candles hovering above them and sighed. Her eyes suddenly darted back to him as his limp hand gripped onto hers. He wasn't awake yet, but he was moving. She wondered briefly if she should call for Pomfrey before he opened his mouth and let out a deep breath. His eyes opened.

He looked around the room with a confused look on his face before his eyes rested on her.

"You're awake." She said simply. He tried to sit up and winced sharply, "I wouldn't do that." She warned resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Alyssa smiled and nodded, "Don't worry about me; you're the one in a hospital bed."

"I got to you in time, then?"

"You don't remember?" He shook his head, "You got right in front of me as they shot a curse, and you took the hit." He nodded quickly and winced again, "You okay?"

"My head's killing me." He muttered, raising his free hand to his head.

"Pomfrey said you have a concussion." She explained, "She'll probably have you here for a couple of days…"

Draco nodded and rested back into his pillows, gripping her hand once more. They sat in a comfortable silence for some time and Alyssa had wondered if he had fallen asleep. But when she moved to leave he gripped her hand again, so she stayed put. Since the motions of the day had slowed down, one thought had been nagging her mind.

"Did you know this was going to happen, Draco?" she asked quietly. He sat still and silent and it was even a few minutes before he answered.

"I knew they were planning something, I just didn't know what… or when." He said slowly, "I never would've thought they'd attack during a Quidditch match."

She nodded her head in agreement; the mere thought was too risky. But if he knew about it, wouldn't he have known not to do anything? In her vision, it was like her dad had told him to keep out of the way or else there'd be consequences. Now that she thought of it, the look on Snape's face actually made sense. He'd basically been watching over Draco all year, and maybe now he knew Draco would be in danger because he interfered.

Once again she found herself rising from her seat. It was rather stuffy in the room and she had to get out of her cloak.

"Don't leave me," Draco said suddenly. "Just… stay." His eyes were still closed and he looked like he was about to doze off.

"I wasn't going to," Alyssa explained. She shrugged her cloak off her shoulders and draped it over the back of her seat before sitting down again and taking his hand back. "I was just taking off my cloak. I'll stay as long as you want me to."

"Good," He murmured quietly. He opened his eyes and surveyed her, "I don't think I want you leaving my sight again." He said, a smirk forming on his face.

Alyssa laughed and inched her chair closer to the bed. "That's fine… as long as you're with me." She smiled at him and ran her hand over the side of his face.

"Now go to sleep. You need rest." He complied easily by closing his eyes and after only a moment she was sure he was fast asleep. She sighed heavily as she watched him. If only things weren't this complicated, she thought. If only they didn't have so much to worry about and could just keep to themselves. Alyssa smiled, and was raised to a happier state of mind by just thinking… after all of this was over; she could just be with him.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks so much to all my recent reviews! I was really glad to get all the positive responses especially when i'd just come out with a pretty big chapter.

Hope you enjoyed this one, it was pretty hard to write and im not sure how i think of it, but i think it came out pretty good and i really like the ending with Alyssa and Draco.

Once again - reviews are seriously appreciated! it feels so good to finally be writing out what i've been planning for _so _long. Much love.


	17. Chapter 17

Even with the events that occurred in the match, Gryffindor still found it necessary to have a huge party of celebration in the common room a few nights later. After all, Harry did catch the Snitch even though there was an attack. Alyssa and Hermione left their room and made their way up to Gryffindor tower to celebrate with the rest of the students. When they entered the room, streamers and banners were strung all around the room; students were packed in, celebrating with butterbeer, firewhiskey, and loads of food. Ginny eventually came to where they were standing and gave them both butterbeer and hugs.

"It's great, isn't it?" She said enthusiastically.

"Splendid," Hermione droned. She was having trouble being Head Girl and letting all these students break the rules, "Although, I should put a stop to this."

"Oh, come off it, Hermione." Ginny scolded, "Even McGonagall stopped by for a bit of festivities!"

Alyssa walked away from the pair and made her way over to Harry who was surrounded by swooning girls. He seemed absolutely delighted to get away from them as Alyssa made her appearance and they gave each other hugs.

"Couldn't help yourself, could you?" Alyssa asked him teasingly.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea. I don't even think anyone from the team had planned this." He said running a hand through his sloppy hair.

Alyssa stepped closer so he would be able to hear her over the noise, "I never really thanked you for what you did… and well – thank you." She said smiling.

Instead of being modest about it and explaining how 'it was nothing,' Harry wrapped his arm around her and smiled back. "You're welcome."

She raised her glass to him and said, "Cheers!" and clanked her glass with his before drinking it down. The butterbeer slid down her throat and warmed her insides.

Someone in the room suddenly shouted, "To Harry Potter!" The whole common room cheered loudly and raised their drinks. Harry blushed much to Alyssa's amusement and gulped down the rest of his drink.

An hour later found the entire common room filled with drunken students. Save for Hermione, of course, who learned her lesson back at Christmas. Ginny sauntered her way over to where Harry and Alyssa were seated and jutted her thumb towards the door.

"A few people are goin' outside. Wanna join?" She slurred. She already had a jacket on and was zipping it up. Alyssa looked at Harry who shrugged and they both got up and followed the rest of the people. Everyone crept through the castle as quiet as possible, as it was way past curfew and eventually made it freely outdoors. It was chilly out, but the dark sky was perfectly clear and the moon shone brightly over them. No one needed to light their wands for the moon lit up the grounds completely.

Ginny pulled out a cigarette and lit up, taking a long deep drag. Seeing Alyssa's gaze she held it out to her.

"Want a drag?" She asked.

Alyssa shrugged, "Y'know, I honestly can't remember the last time I had one."

Ginny put a pondering finger to her chin and furrowed her brows, "You know what? Me neither. I think the time calls for it though."

Alyssa laughed and walked towards the lake and sat on a large rock that partly jut out into the water. She folded her legs beneath her and stared up at the sky, sipping on her firewhiskey. Soon Harry joined her and they sat quietly next to each other while the others around them jinxing one another.

"Oy," Harry said suddenly, "I wanted to tell you something."

"What?" Alyssa whispered.

"You know after we had that talk?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"_Listen_!" He urged, "I was thinking… after you thought I might fancy you. I gave it a lot of thought, and well, I don't fancy you, really." Alyssa rolled her eyes and took another sip of firewhiskey, "I mean – I'm attracted to you, but I think that's it really. We just seem to have some sort of… er… connection that makes it confusing." He ended with a low chuckle.

Alyssa nodded in agreement, "I know exactly what you mean." She slurred, resting her hand on his shoulder. But even through the drunken haze she thought he made an excellent point. For some reason she felt like she was being pulled to Harry, but just not exactly in a relationship way.

"I think kissing you'd be way too weird, anyway." Alyssa teased. She removed her sandal and leaned forward on the rock a bit to put the tip of her toe through the surface of the water.

"Would not – I could definitely kiss better than that ferret." He scoffed loudly, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him jut out his chin and push up his chest triumphantly.

Alyssa laughed. Chills went through her body with her toe still in the freezing water. "I'll just _try_ to take your word for it, then." Another thought passed through her mind as she took a few gulps of her firewhiskey and winced as it burned her throat. "Why do you all call him 'ferret', anyway?"

"He's never told you?" Harry asked, she shook her head and he laughed. Soon he was telling her about how in their fourth year, Draco tried to curse Harry from behind and Mad Eye – who was really Barty Crouch Jr. at the time – wouldn't have any of that, and transfigured Draco into a ferret and bounced him up and down the hallway.

"Aw, man! I wish I could've seen that!" She said laughing.

Harry laughed and leaned back on the rock, "Yeah, it was hilarious." Alyssa followed suit and leaned back as well, staring up at the starry sky. This was how she really wanted things to be. She wanted to be with her friends, and not have a care in the world. But for some reason, fate had other plans for her. She sighed and took another sip of firewhiskey.

"Gimme some of that," Harry snapped, and tore the bottle out of her hands. She laughed as he took a few gulps. She wondered if Harry felt the same way. Seeing him like this, so carefree, was incredibly uplifting. Because with what he'd been through, if even for a moment he could truly be happy, then anyone could.

It poured all afternoon and into the night, the next day. Alyssa thought the weather fit the moods around the castle perfectly. After the Quidditch match students now seemed to realize that the war was coming, if they wanted it or not, and that they'd have to face it. The only thing they could really be thankful for was that they weren't in positions like certain students were. Most of them could make the easy decision of whether they'd end up fighting or running away with their families. They weren't front and center of what was going on.

Alyssa sat in her room with Ginny and Blaise. They were crowded around the fire keeping warm as constant chills were sent through the castle.

"Where is everyone today, anyway?" Alyssa asked curiously. For some reason she hadn't seen Harry, Hermione or Ron all day. Even Draco. It seemed like they had all disappeared.

Blaise shrugged nonchalantly and yawned. "I'm not sure." Ginny said, but it looked as if she had an idea.

"Even Draco's gone. I haven't seen him since he fell asleep in the hospital wing last night." Blaise smirked at her and Ginny still seemed like she was somewhere else. Alyssa leaned back until she was lying down and closed her eyes.

"He's still in the hospital wing?" Blaise asked curiously.

Alyssa nodded, "Well he'd _been_ there, anyway. The whole concussion thing had his motor skills not exactly up to par." She explained.

"What time is it?" Blaise asked after a few minutes of silence.

"About time for dinner," Alyssa replied with her eyes still closed. She hadn't wanted to move all day from the moment she woke up with a bit of a hangover. She was thankful she didn't vomit, but she constantly felt like she was about to and didn't eat anything at all that day. Ginny seemed perfectly fine, though maybe a bit tired, and Blaise who hadn't been through any celebrations the previous night was running on a full nights sleep.

"Why don't we head there now, then?" Ginny suggested, "The faster we get there, the faster we can leave and head off to bed." She reasoned.

"Good idea." Alyssa muttered and slowly stood up, raising a hand to her face as her headache throbbed.

They made their way to the Great Hall together, but Blaise left once they got there to sit at his respective table. They were one of the first few students to get there, and there was still no sign of the Golden Trio, or Draco. Alyssa sat down and reluctantly helped herself to a bit of food. She looked up at the staff table to rest her eyes on Brad. Ever since the attack he'd resolved to once again stay at Hogwarts for a while to keep watch on things. She resumed back to eating her food while Ginny conversed with Seamus. Alyssa poked her food with her fork and took a few sips of pumpkin juice before feeling suddenly repulsed.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." She muttered quickly, before standing up and walking out of the Great Hall. She stepped outside to get some fresh air and took some deep breaths. She sat on the cold stone steps and silently wished she had her cloak with her. Luckily she was already being blocked from the steady rain. She didn't even react as her necklace started to glow as she sat staring at the moon.

"Hey, sis." Brad said; he'd followed her out and sat next to her on the steps and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "What's up?"

"Not feeling too good." She said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder.

He nodded and stared into the moon as well for a few moments. "I think I know how to cheer you up." He finally said. He stood up from his seat, towering way too much over her making her feel even more nauseous than she already was. She winced and stood up next to him, though he still towered over her.

Brad grabbed her hand and as they walked through the halls he slowed his pace so she could keep up with him. She rolled her eyes at this; it wasn't her fault he decided to be a billion feet tall.

"Where are we going?" Alyssa whined.

"Shut up, you'll see soon enough." They finally stopped in front of a door and Brad knocked loudly.

"Come in," A voice said. Alyssa furrowed her brows as Brad opened the door. He blocked her view completely as a familiar voice said, "Hey there, Brad."

"I brought a visitor." Brad said cheerily and stepped aside revealing Alyssa.

She gasped, "Remus!" She nearly sprinted at him as he stood calmly in front of a large briefcase. He was in shaggy robes as usual, with faint scars across his face, but other than that he looked livelier than the last time she saw him. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she hugged him tightly.

"Well, when I heard what happened, I decided to come straight away." He explained.

"To keep an eye on me or something?"

Remus cocked his head to the side and gave a slight shrug, "You could say that, but at a time like this people wouldn't want to know a werewolf is in the school, so don't exactly tell everyone."

Alyssa shrugged as she released him and stepped back. "I wouldn't do that, except for maybe Harry or someone like that."

"Harry happens to know I'm here, actually."

"Really?" Alyssa asked, "I figured he might tell me something like that, but I haven't even seen him all day."

"Yes… he and his friends aren't at the school. They had some things to take care of." Remus said. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a few papers. Alyssa moved back to sit beside Brad who'd made himself comfortable on a couch.

"When did you get here?"

"Just this afternoon; I owled Brad last night to let him know I'd be coming."

Alyssa clapped her hands and bounced in her seat, "Well this is nice; the whole family is here, then. We'd just have to convince mom to leave work for a bit."

Brad snorted and Remus even laughed, "Please, Alyssa, don't speak of such impossibilities."

She rolled her eyes, "But still, this is really nice. Especially with Brad being here so much; it's the most I've seen him in a while."

Brad nodded. Remus waved his wand towards the fireplace and flames roared instantly.

"I could've done that, you know." Alyssa offered.

Remus chuckled again and looked at her as he took a seat across from them. "Yes, I'm well aware. Brad tells me you've taken a somewhat liking towards your new abilities... I've wanted to talk to you about your powers actually; Harry told me something very peculiar about the vision you had."

"Other than that I had a vision to begin with?" Alyssa asked – Brad snorted.

Remus shook his head. "No – he said that when you had the vision, your eyes turned black."

"What?" Alyssa and Brad spoke in unison. "Is that possible?"

"Well I haven't actually seen it happen. But you must've had an extreme surge of energy and been very powerful at that point to have made it happen… I'm surprised no one got hurt."

Alyssa furrowed her brows and shifted in her seat. "I _almost _hurt someone," She mumbled. She continued after seeing their confused glances. "I almost cursed Draco… I guess I thought he was Lucius after just seeing him in my vision."

Remus let out a loud sigh and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other as he did so. "Ah, yes… Malfoy," He drawled with a slight smirk. "I've had to endure many complaints from Brad about that one."

Alyssa looked at Brad who shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny and frowned at him. "How long have you been seeing each other, exactly?"

"Dunno," She said with a shrug, and then a smirk rose to her face, "Depends on when I'm counting from exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Depends on… the first-"

Brad threw his hand over her mouth, "You don't want to be asking that, Remus." Slowly he released Alyssa, but only after a warning glance.

"All right, all right, chill out." Alyssa said shrugging away from him, "It's not my fault he's so damn irresistible." Brad and Remus visibly blanched and looked away causing her to laugh. "But enough about him… I feel like that's all anybody wants to hear about these days. Although you two should be practically on our knees thanking him," she suggested, "He's the one who saved my ass at the Quidditch match."

"Harry saved your ass." Brad reminded her.

"Well – yeah, him too. But no one would've even realized what was going on if Draco hadn't gotten in front of me in time. I would've just fell over the edge and died." She said nodding, Brad rolled his eyes.

"No one wants you dead, Alyssa." He reasoned.

"Well you'd think they'd try a nicer approach, then."

"He's serious, Alyssa." Remus said; he leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees. "They're not looking to kill you – they want to use you, remember?"

"Only too well." She replied with a grimace. "So I guess that's – what – a weird way of saying I'm safe? That they don't want to kill me?"

Brad laughed and reached over to ruffle her hair, "You could say that, lil sis."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and stood up. "Well as amazing as this conversation of my impending doom is – I'm not feeling well and need some sleep." She explained rubbing her stomach. Brad and Remus stood up beside her and Alyssa stepped forward to give Remus a hug. "It's _so _good to see you, Remus. You'll still be here tomorrow, right?" He nodded.

"Later, bro." She said with a salute to Brad. She walked towards the door and opened it, only to be nearly punched in the face by Harry who had his fist raised to knock on the door. "Oh – hello, there," Ron and Harry were standing on either side of him.

"Alyssa?" He spoke quietly and his face was void of any color, "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting," She said with a shrug. "Where have _you _been all day?" She observed Hermione and Ron. Hermione had red, puffy eyes as if she'd been crying – Ron was avoiding her eye all together. "Is something wrong?"

Harry didn't answer and walked past her to say something inaudible to Remus; he nodded and stepped back, looking at Alyssa. "I'll see you tomorrow, Alyssa." She furrowed her brows in confusion and before fully stepping out the door was enveloped by Hermione's arms. Hermione pressed her face into Alyssa's hair and choked out a sob.

"Let's just get to bed." She managed to say in between hiccups. Alyssa nodded and pried Hermione's arms off her. She glared accusingly at Ron who still hadn't looked at her and proceeded down the hallway holding Hermione by the elbow. Alyssa didn't even bother trying to get Hermione to fill her in on what the _hell_ was going on. She was too tired, too hung-over, too _anything_ – that all she wanted to do was get into bed pronto. She didn't even focus on timing exactly how long it took to get back to their room, which she'd somehow developed a habit of doing. When they got there the fireplace was lit, Draco's cloak was thrown over the couch, and the door to his room was wide opened.

She quickly added things together. They all must've been with each other and had arrived at the same time… how interesting. What was going on these days? First Draco and Harry were _conversing_ with each other the night she had the vision, now they were _all_ just leaving the school together? Something was indeed peculiar, she thought.

"I'll be right there, Hermione." She said quietly and ushered her through the door. Hermione stopped briefly and glanced back at her, wiping her eye with her sleeve.

"You know, Alyssa, I've never really thought to say how much I really do like you." She said quickly, Alyssa's jaw dropped – but she didn't stop there. "I mean – at first it seemed like we just couldn't work as friends: you smoke, you drink, you're involved with Malfoy… But you're a really great person, you know that?" Alyssa could barely form a nod. "It may seem like we're the complete opposite, but I like that about you. I don't think it'd be so nice if I had to deal with another version of myself."

"Uh… thanks, Hermione." Alyssa muttered. "I appreciate that – you've been a great friend, too." Hermione smiled brightly through her tear-stained face and turned back around to walk into their room.

Alyssa sighed; could things get any more peculiar? She walked over to Draco's room and stood in the doorway. He stood facing away from her – it was the first time she'd seen him standing since before the Quidditch match. He seemed well enough; he stood tall looking out the window with his usual perfect posture.

"Everyone seems to be coming up with declarations, these days." He said softly.

"Yeah – it's getting rather strange." Alyssa responded. She pushed herself off the doorway and made her way to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. She rested her head on his back and felt his muscles tense before he turned around. He cupped her face in his hands and raised her head to look at her.

"Is everything okay?" She asked. "I haven't seen anyone all day, and you all come back so strange."

"What do you mean?" He asked. He hadn't exactly been speaking softly like she thought. His voice sounded particularly restrained, as if he'd lost it and was now getting it back. It was weak, she thought.

"You look just like Harry – he looked pretty pale. Hermione was crying, and Ron seemed to be avoiding me." She observed Draco's face for some sort of reaction, but he didn't seem surprised at all by this news. "Are you feeling well?" She finally asked.

"I'm very tired." He replied, dropping his hands to her shoulders.

"You should be; I'd even suggest going back to the hospital wing if I knew you'd actually agree to it."

"Will you stay with me?" He asked. Her heart seemed to break at his words. Maybe it was because of the whole concussion thing, but he'd been acting… _sensitive_. And that definitely wasn't normal behavior for Draco – or any Malfoy.

"I would… but Hermione's expecting me, and I think she's a bit too emotional to be left alone at the moment."

"How 'bout I sneak in with you?" He suggested. He didn't even smirk; he had a perfectly straight face making the suggestion even casual.

Alyssa furrowed her brows, "Okay, seriously, what's wrong?"

Draco shrugged and moved his hand from her shoulder to run it through his hair. "I'm fine, you're probably right about the hospital wing. But I'd rather be with you, tonight."

"We've got classes tomorrow."

"We don't have anything till after lunch."

"How do you know?" She questioned.

"I'm _Head Boy_; I know everything." He continued at the expression on her face, "It's been doing nothing but raining so no one's able to get outside."

She quirked an eyebrow and considered agreeing. It wouldn't be _too_ bad. Hermione probably cried herself out by now and could possibly already be sleeping – or at least delirious. Clearly she was already somewhat deluded. Plus Draco was usually the earliest to rise out of everyone she knew, and it wasn't too late now which would make that time even earlier.

"How can I resist you?" She finally said with a shrug.

He smirked at her, the first normal behavior of the night. "You can't, obviously." He rested his arms to his sides and turned to change out of his clothes and into some pajamas. He looked back at Alyssa when he finished who jutted her thumb towards the door.

"Now be quiet." She warned as she opened the door to her room. There was barely any light in the room, only from the lit fireplace and the moon shining through the window.

"Alyssa, is that you?" Hermione asked. Her voice was muffled.

"Yes, it's me. Go back to sleep." Alyssa responded. She walked over to Hermione's bed as Draco got into hers and rested on her knees on Hermione's side. Her face was pressed into the pillow and her hair was everywhere. "Sleep all afternoon if you want; you need rest."

Hermione nodded and muttered something unintelligible, thirty seconds later she seemed to be snoring. Alyssa sighed and stood up walking back over to her bed. Draco patted the seat next to him, she stripped down until she was in her panties and the tank top she was wearing underneath her sweater, and slipped under the covers with Draco.

He immediately curled to her side, wrapping both arms around her waist and kissed her jaw.

"If Hermione finds you – you're done for."

He shushed her and continued giving her soft kisses until she turned her face, bringing her lips to his. They kissed softly for a few moments, not wanting to make too much noise. Her mouth moved against his and she lowered herself down wanting a more comfortable position. His tongue traced her lower lip and she pulled away sharply.

"Draco," She whispered, "If I'd known this is what you wanted I would've just stayed in your room."

He smirked, "I'm just kissing you… purely innocent." He whispered back. She leaned forward again, claiming his lips, opening her mouth against his. She had really meant what she'd said earlier to Brad and Remus. Draco was too irresistible for his own good.

When Alyssa woke up the next day, she was surprised to see that Draco hadn't left yet. He was already awake, lying on his back with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She adjusted her position slightly to look at her clock – it was 10:45.

"You haven't left yet?" She asked; her voice cracked from sleep. Draco moved his free arm and pointed at Hermione. Alyssa looked over to see that she was still fast asleep.

"That's weird," Alyssa observed turning back around to rest her head on Draco. "She really must've tired herself out." She craned her neck to observe his face. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was deep and even. He was still pale but that meant nothing when he was concerned, and he looked like he was rested.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

He nodded, "I just get wiped out really easily. And I should've been resting instead of going out," He admitted. Alyssa nodded in agreement. She thought briefly of asking exactly where he'd been, but she probably wouldn't get an answer.

"Are you going to rest all day today?"

"And conveniently skip classes?" He said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well you've barely been to classes since the match, I'm sure they'll understand."

He shook his head, clearly thinking it was a bad idea. "And I already have all that homework to make up; I don't think I'll be able to handle much more."

Alyssa's attention was drawn to the other side of the room as Hermione stretched and yawned. "Alyssa, who're you talking to?" She mumbled from under the covers.

"No one, I think you're hearing things." Alyssa said while trying to push Draco out of the bed. He simply refused to budge and was way too big for her to overpower. "_Get out_!" She hissed. He merely smirked at her and got even more comfortable in her covers.

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I was hearing you talk to someone."

"It must've been in a dream, Hermione. I just woke up and I can _assure_ you-" she said sending a glare at Draco, "that no one is here."

Hermione sat up in bed with her back facing Alyssa and Draco. "All right, well I'm going to take a quick shower then." And thankfully she stood up and headed straight to the bathroom without glancing at the two of them in bed. Once the door was shut and locked, and the water from the shower started to run, Alyssa turned and slapped Draco on the arm.

He chuckled softly, "What was that for?"

"Hermione would've had the biggest fit in the _world_ if she knew you were in here." She snapped.

"It was nothing, love. Now lay back down, I want to rest." He reached towards her and pulled her down to his side.

"I can't rest! Hermione's awake and she'll eventually come out, which means you have to _get out_!" Before she knew it she was yanked out of bed and pulled through her bedroom door, being led by Draco. "What are you doing?" She demanded trying to pull from his grasp.

"You told me to get out, and I want to rest." He said over his shoulder. He went back through the door to his room and shoved her onto his bed where he climbed in with her. "So we're going to rest." He said, his voice making it final.

After lunch Alyssa decided to sit outside on the front steps again. It was still raining but it refreshing outside and she was blocked from the rain. She flipped her hood on her head as she sat down and crossed her legs underneath her. She stared up at the dark sky; it was dark gray and a bit purple and there was nothing but clouds covering the sky.

Brad followed her outside and sat down on the steps next to her. "What are you doing outside on a day like this?" He asked curiously, raising his voice so he could be heard over the rain.

"It's not so bad."

They sat in silence for a few minutes just staring out at the pouring rain.

Brad looked over at her with a worried expression on his face, "Alyssa, are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just… you seem different since the match, and I'd completely understand if you wanted to talk about what happened. I'd be really scared if I were you."

Alyssa shrugged and stared at her hands in her lap. "I don't know what I feel… A part of me is scared, and I don't want to go insane worrying about it, yet all I feel is anxious. I don't know what they're planning; for all I know the next attack could be tomorrow – or next week. You know what I'm saying?"

Brad nodded his head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed as she continued. "Plus it makes things a bit worse when you're dating the son of Lucius." She laughed lightly at the sound of it, "He could know anything, y'know? But he can't really tell me anything or he's a goner."

"Well, you know he's not a Death Eater." Brad said.

"True," She agreed nodding. "That part is good. And as much as I know I shouldn't… I know I can trust him." Brad kissed her cheek and rubbed her arm comfortingly. "There's something with these powers, too."

"What do you mean?"

"There's so much that I don't know about them, just what I feel. Like, everytime I use them I can feel it getting stronger and I don't know if that's good or not. I want to use them so I can know how to control them... yet a part of me thinks that if they get stronger, it'll be harder to control."

"Everything will be okay, sis. You've got more people than you think making sure you're safe."

Alyssa heaved a big breath, "Well that _is _more comforting."

* * *

**A/N: **a bit of a short one ... oh well! im muy excited for the next chapter, and thanks to the recent reviewers, as usual i ask for some more!


	18. Chapter 18

Without needing to be told so, Alyssa stayed back from the next Hogsmeade trip. She didn't find it safe to leave the school at a time like this so before any teachers made that same suggestion she had decided to not go altogether – much to the disappointment of most of her friends. It had still been drizzling by the time the day came anyway, so she knew she wouldn't be missing that much.

But much to her relief, Blaise had also decided to stay behind that day, so she wouldn't be all alone. Apparently he had too much work to do to have any sort of social life. She sat with him in the library while he did most of his work, and then when he decided he did enough of it they walked outside to sit by the lake.

They both sat side by side on the rock that Alyssa had found herself sitting on with Harry only a few nights earlier. She thought of that night, and how much fun it had been.

"Ah, Blaise," She said heaving a deep sigh, "It seems only days ago when I first met you and thought you were a complete weirdo." She mused.

He chuckled as he flipped the hood of his cloak up. "Why was I a complete weirdo?"

Alyssa shrugged, "I thought you were stoned or something most of the time. You were always ridiculously perky and it was a bit frightening."

"Ah," He said as if understanding that perfectly, "I must've been flirting." Alyssa rolled her eyes and snuggled closer to him as the cold wind blew past them. "I fancied you quite a bit those first few days."

"Did you really?"

"Well in an 'I want to shag you senseless' way, yeah – I did." She laughed out loud as she flipped up her own hood. "You're a bit too attractive for your own good." He said rolling his eyes. He wrapped an arm around her pulling her closer and they leaned back on the rock. "And then there was the whole snogging thing."

"Yes, can't forget that." Alyssa agreed, remembering the first party at Hogwarts when she and Blaise kissed after a game of spin the bottle.

"Those were the days…" He said lightly while staring up at the sky.

"Yeah… I wish everything was still like those first few days… instead it had to get all serious." Alyssa said, a frown falling on her face. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Alyssa thought of something. "Hey, Blaise, do you have any cigarettes on you?"

He seemed surprised at the question before patting his pockets, "I might – I haven't had a smoke in ages… especially now that Draco wants us in shape." He seemed to have found an older pack though; he pulled it out and held out a cigarette to her. Alyssa took it in her hand and plucked it between her lips before igniting it. She sat up and inhaled deeply waiting for some sort of reaction. A tingling sensation formed in the back of her throat as if she were about to cough but she didn't. She still couldn't remember the last time she'd smoked; she'd been so caught up with Draco and what was going on with her dad that she'd completely forgotten about it.

She looked at Blaise who was watching her intently. "I haven't had one in a while," She explained, "Thought the time called for it." She added, remembering Ginny's words. She finished the cigarette and threw it out into the lake, watching as it sank into the water.

"Everything will be okay, Alyssa." Blaise said suddenly. Her head turned sharply to look at him; he was still watching her and seemed to have a somewhat sympathetic look in his eyes. "I know you're worried, but it will all be okay in the end." He ran his hand up and down her arm comfortingly and she sighed.

She felt physically and emotionally drained. She was becoming more and more anxious as the days went by, not knowing what was coming, not knowing how to plan for it. She could literally feel her body tiring over the stress she was going through and was partly hoping something happened soon so she could get it over and done with.

For the rest of the day Alyssa sat in Draco's room in front of the fire. She felt more concealed in his room than if she were to sit in her own room where different people could walk in or out. He didn't come back till a bit before dinner. He walked in quietly and threw his cloak over the chair before noticing her position on the floor. He sat down next to her and ran his hand over the back of her neck. She relaxed, leaning into his touch and turned to look at him.

"How are you?" He asked gently. She shrugged before leaning forward and pressing her lips hard to his. Draco didn't miss a beat – he moved his hand from her neck to her jaw and opened his mouth against hers, their tongues brushing against each other. She threw herself forward, practically knocking both of them over and found herself in his lap; he was slightly taken aback by her forwardness but quickly got over it as he wound his free arm around her waist. She took off the sweater she was wearing, feeling suddenly hotter than usual and pressed forward further until she was lying on top of him.

He ran his hands up and down her sides and pulled her shirt up to roam his hands over her skin. She moaned aloud against his lips as his cool hands touched her and chills went shooting down her spine. She pulled away and opened her eyes to stare into his silver ones, trying to communicate what she needed… she needed him to make her forget; to make her feel something other than scared. Draco seemed to understand and flipped her over so he was on top of her. He sat up, unzipped her jeans and pulled them over her hips and down her legs. He threw them to the side and leant back down to capture her lips. When he pulled away next, he didn't go far. He trailed his lips down her jaw line and to her neck where he nipped and licked at her skin. His fingers, meanwhile, hooked themselves underneath the waistband of her panties and pulled them down over her knees, following her jeans.

"Oh, Draco," She sighed heavily. One hand wound its way into his hair while the other lay splayed onto the ground, bracing her body. His left hand, meanwhile, was fastened to her hip while his right found its way up her thigh and towards her center. Her head fell back onto the floor – she could've sworn her eyes rolled backwards – and she couldn't form any sort of coherent thought, couldn't even remember her name as his fingers worked wonders she didn't even believe existed. She moaned loudly and brought her hand from the floor to his shoulder, gripping hard, trying to prevent another loud gasp as he pumped his fingers inside her. Her eyes squeezed shut and she bit hard on her lip. Draco raised his head from her neck to look at her.

He gave her a chaste kiss and continued to observe her as he brought her to her climax. The hand that was on her hip left that position to shove underneath her shirt and towards her breast, where he kneaded her softly. Alyssa gasped again and opened her eyes, her mouth snapping shut in surprise of seeing him staring at her. She found she couldn't look away from his silver eyes, though, which were now glazed over and dark. She hissed and bucked her hips against his hand as she came, a violent tremor coursed through her body and she could barely breathe as he relaxed on top of her. His body pressed onto hers and she could feel him hard against her.

"Christ, Draco." She swore, closing her eyes again. He smirked at her and pressed his lips against hers once more. His breathing was heavy and he rested his forearms on the floor above her shoulders.

He spoke softly, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. "If I'd known this was what you wanted, I would've stayed here all afternoon."

Remus had decided to very discreetly take Brad and Alyssa out for dinner. He had made reservations at a restaurant down in Hogsmeade that could provide a private dining room so that they could eat without being bothered. She and Brad walked through the entrance hall and stepped outside where they'd be meeting Remus. He was already there, dressed in his shabby cloak, waiting for them by the lake.

"Aren't you worried someone might see you?" said Alyssa curiously.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "No one has been outside because of the weather," He gave an upward glance towards the dark sky, "I doubt tonight would be any different." Alyssa shrugged deciding that he had a point and they all took off through the dark grounds of the school and headed towards Hogsmeade.

They arrived at a rather small sized restaurant that was nearly filled with people. But instead of going through the front door, Remus led them down a dimly lit alleyway to the side entrance where he knocked heavily on the door. A very short, porky man opened the door and he seemed to be expecting them. Remus didn't even have to give his name and all three of them stepped inside the candlelit room.

They sat at a round table and were immediately brought glasses of wine.

"So what's the occasion, Remus?" Alyssa asked.

"Well, it's been a while so I thought I'd take the two of you out."

Brad and Alyssa looked at each other wearing a broad smile, "That's lovely." She stated, grasping her glass of wine and sipping it. Soon they were brought menus as well and were taken over by silence as they decided what they'd be eating.

"So how's Elizabeth doing, Brad?" Remus asked after a few minutes.

Brad choked on his drink and wine dribbled onto his chin. He held onto his chest as he coughed; Alyssa looked up from the menu.

"Elizabeth? Who's _Elizabeth_?" she demanded sharply.

"You haven't told her?" Remus asked with a bewildered expression, though there was a smirk on his face and he seemed quite entertained.

"Told me _what_?" she asked darkly. Brad was still coughing and grabbed the extra glass of water and quickly chugged practically the whole glass down.

"Elizabeth is Brad's new girlfriend." Remus answered for him. Alyssa's jaw dropped and her head snapped to look over at her brother, who – although recovered – was bright red in the face. Brad _never_ had girlfriends. The last time he had one was probably when he was Alyssa's age. Sure he had flings here and there, but not anything serious; nothing remotely as serious as to be labeled a girlfriend.

"You have a… a _girlfriend_?" she sputtered. Brad briefly glared at Remus before looking at her and nodding.

"Since when? And why does Remus know yet I don't?"

"It's not that important, really," He tried to explain, "And we've only been seeing each other for a month or something so it's not that serious."

"Not that serious? Brad, I can't even remember the last time you had a girlfriend… what was her name again?" She looked skyward as if deep in thought. "Michelle? Rachel? Patricia?"

"Brittany." He answered mutinously.

"Ah, yes, of course. Well you know what Brad? I told you about Draco already knowing there'd be serious problems about that, and what do I hear of this Elizabeth chick? Nothing."

Remus chuckled pleasantly at the pair arguing; his attention adverted to the waiter as he came over and they all ordered their food before continuing the conversation.

"It's not that serious, I'm telling you." Brad reasoned. Alyssa rolled her eyes at him and took a few gulps of her water. Soon the food was served and once again they fell into silence as they ate.

"So when am I meeting this Elizabeth?" Alyssa asked curiously; Brad glared at her while chewing his food. "It's a completely innocent question!" Brad decided to ignore her and continued eating his dinner.

"How about a bit of a lighter subject?" Remus suggested. Alyssa rolled her eyes as she pushed her food around on her plate.

"Do you know where mom's been lately?" She asked. Brad shrugged and looked at Remus.

"Last I heard she was in Italy; but who knows where she is now." He answered.

"Y'know," Alyssa said dropping her fork. "I don't see what the point of having an estate in America is if no one's living in it. She makes me move around from school to school yet it's not like she's here for me to see."

"Well, eventually your mom will want to retire there, or maybe you or Brad could take it over?"

Brad and Alyssa shared a look. "Brad hasn't been home in ages; I think he's in Romania to stay."

"What about you?" Remus asked.

She took a sip of wine and furrowed her brows in thought. She hadn't really thought about what she was going to do after Hogwarts. She didn't have a career in mind and she had no idea where she was even planning on living. "I guess I was gonna go back home for a bit… but I really like it here. Maybe I could get a job here or something and move in."

"Then we'd seriously have no point in the estate." Brad pointed out.

"I didn't realize you liked it here so much, Alyssa; what with everything that's been going on." Remus said.

Alyssa shrugged, "Well _that_ part sucks. But otherwise it's been really nice. I'm friends with some really great people and it would really suck if I had to leave… I guess I would go back home though; there's some old friends I haven't seen in years -"

"Like Jason." Brad added.

"Yes, like Jason. Plus I still have the rest of my things there."

"Have you thought about what you'd like to do after you leave school?" Remus asked. Alyssa bit her lip and shook her head.

"Everyone has their mind set on everything… and I just don't know." She said shrugging again.

"Well you're always welcome to join me in Romania." Brad said cheerfully, clapping her on the back.

"How did the problems with the dragons go?" Remus asked him.

"There was a shipment of these two new babies which causes quite a lot of problems. They come wild when all the others are at least somewhat tamed so they needed all the help that they could get." He turned to look at Alyssa, "Charlie Weasley was there, Ron's brother. He's been around a lot lately helping out."

"How is he? I've never met him." Alyssa said after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"He's really cool; he's pretty laid back for someone who's working around dragons all the time," Brad explained, "But yeah, he's pretty decent." He finished his dinner, set down his fork and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "So have you talked to Jason lately?" He asked, bringing up the previous subject. Alyssa eyed him warily before answering.

"He wrote me for my birthday or something… why?"

He shrugged as he set down his napkin. "He's a good guy, just wondering if you've kept in touch with him."

Alyssa dropped her fork again, frustrated. "What's with everyone? Why do you all praise Jason? He wasn't that great y'know; we broke up for a reason."

"I thought you broke up because you were transferring?" Remus said.

She waved a dismissive hand, "That's not the _only _reason." She took a sip of water before continuing, "He was really possessive and was jealous ALL the time. It was rather annoying."

"And you think Draco isn't?" Brad challenged.

Alyssa scoffed loudly looking offended. "How would _you _know? Even if he has his moments I'd hardly call it possessive… and it's nothing that concerns you." She said glaring at her big brother.

"How could it not? I'm your brother!"

"That doesn't mean you get a clear window into _our_ relationship." She snapped back.

"If that's the case then you shouldn't worry about Elizabeth!"

"What is with you two tonight?" Remus finally cut in, "You've been doing nothing but arguing and it's getting a bit tiring." He said, fanning his face dramatically. Brad and Alyssa scoffed and turned away from each other. Remus rolled his eyes at them and finished his dinner before the waiter came by and cleared the table; they all ordered coffee as he left.

"It's not my fault he's being all argumentative." Alyssa said jutting her thumb at Brad.

"How am I being argumentative?"

"Oh, please! Lying to me about your stupid girlfriend and going on about how Draco has problems when you don't even know him."

"I didn't lie to you… I just never mentioned it."

Alyssa rolled her eyes, "Same thing."

"Okay, well whatever it is," Remus started raising his hands in defeat, "Could we please save it for another night? I haven't seen either of you in ages and I'd like this to be a pleasant evening." He looked at them expectantly and they mumbled their apologies as there coffee arrived.

"I'm just being protective," Brad reasoned while pouring cream into his coffee. "There's nothing wrong with that; especially with what's been happening lately." Alyssa punched him in the arm causing him to shout out. "What the hell was that for?"

"Don't get all emotional – it's not a good look for you."

They finished their coffee and Remus paid for the check. Once they stepped outside it wasn't raining at all, but it was very humid and so foggy that they could barely see where they were going. They all lit their wands which didn't do too much to help, and headed in a direction they only hoped would eventually lead them back to the castle.

"Now, Alyssa, I hope that you don't take to wandering around by yourself." Remus said as they walked at a slow pace.

"Of course not; I usually have at least one person with me. And besides, I think now we're perfectly fine; I've got two perfectly capable Wizards with me." She replied looking up admirably at her companions. "I haven't even been out of the castle that much." She added. They reached a bend in the path and were relieved to see that they were indeed heading in the right direction. They were silent all the way back to the castle, and Alyssa, looking at her watch, saw that it was almost ten o'clock. Brad stepped ahead to open the main doors to the entrance hall and were glad that there weren't any students inside to see that Remus was there.

Brad and Alyssa walked Remus to his room where they said goodnight and parted ways, leaving the two of them walking down the nearly empty hallways.

"So where have you been staying?" Alyssa asked curiously.

"I've been in the same room I was in the first time I came here." He replied. They turned down a hallway that would eventually lead them to Alyssa's room. Once they reached the door Brad turned to her and gave her a hug. He paused before turning away as if he wanted to say something.

"Y'know," He finally said after a few seconds, "Sorry for talking about you and Draco's relationship; I don't know how you two are together so I shouldn't have made assumptions."

"It's all right," Alyssa said with a shrug. "I flipped out on you about Elizabeth so I guess now we're even." Brad seemed pleased with this so he said goodnight and they too parted ways. Alyssa opened the door to see Harry, Ron and Hermione all sitting around the coffee table, bent over loads of text books. They all looked up startled to see her.

"Hey," She greeted softly, shutting the door behind her. "What's going on?"

"Studying," Harry replied in a monotonous tone. Alyssa took the seat next to him to see that there were at least tens of spare pieces of parchment, all covered with notes.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"All evening," Ron said, and it sounded if he had been choking back a sob, yet looking at Hermione she saw that she looked quite proud of herself.

"Where've you been?" Harry asked seeing an open opportunity to get away from studying for a few moments.

"I went out to dinner with Brad and Remus; we just got back." Harry nodded and stretched. After stifling a yawn he leaned back and draped his arm over the couch behind her back.

"Ready to call it a night?" He asked Hermione. She glared at him but looked at her watch and nodded.

"We've got to do rounds now anyway… don't we, _Ronald_?" She said turning her glare on Ron.

"Right," He whimpered. They stood up and left the room leaving Alyssa and Harry to themselves sitting on the couch. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while but soon Alyssa's eyes began to droop.

"I think I'm going to head to bed." Harry said. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes before standing up and putting them back on.

They stood up together, "Good idea," Alyssa agreed, yawning. Harry leaned over and surprised her by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She could do nothing but comply and wrapped her arms around his waist; his back was stiff and tense yet he held her close. It was a type of hug you gave someone when you wouldn't be seeing them for a while.

He pulled away, smiling slightly, his glasses crooked. "See you," He said.

"Goodnight, Harry." She replied, and watched as he turned and left the room.

Alyssa and Draco were in their common room doing homework and studying; it was still doing nothing but pouring outside which had caused problems for some classes. So the professors of said classes were piling up homework as much as they could while they had the opportunity. And now that the end of year exams were coming up, studying was becoming a lot more tedious.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous." Alyssa scoffed, tossing her quill across the room. "I'm sick of studying, I'm sick of these headaches from studying, and I'm sick of my neck killing me every morning 'cause all I do is crane it to study."

Draco ignored her and continued scribbling away on his parchment. He had three opened books surrounding him and was bent over in concentration. Alyssa rolled her eyes at him; he'd been in a pissy mood all morning and it was really pissing her off.

"Did you say something?" He said after a few minutes. Alyssa rolled her eyes again and snapped her books shut deciding that she'd had enough of studying for the day. She let her chin fall into her hands and stared at him until he finally decided to look at her. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'?"

"What, as in what are you lurking at?"

"What does lurking even mean, anyway?"

Draco rolled his eyes and dropped his head to resume taking notes.

"What's your problem?" Alyssa snapped.

"I don't have a problem." It was Alyssa's turn to roll her eyes.

She stood up and straightened her Gryffindor robe before walking around the coffee table to sit next to Draco on the couch. "Draco," She whined loudly. She wrapped her arms around his upper body and rested her head on his shoulder yet he still carried on as if she wasn't even there. "Draco, stop studying."

"I've got to get this done."

"You're the most brilliant student in the year. You don't need to study." She reasoned. She leaned forward and tried to persuade him to drop what he was doing by giving him butterfly kisses on his neck. She inched closer until she was practically sitting in his lap.

"Stop that." He said suddenly.

"Stop what?"

"Stop trying to distract me."

"Trying?" Alyssa asked, pulling away a few inches.

Draco finally turned his head to look at her, "Trying as in you're failing." Her jaw dropped and she dramatically slapped a hand to her chest. She huffed and shoved herself away from him so she was sitting on the complete opposite side of the couch; he had already looked away from her and continued flipping through pages of his books.

After a few minutes he said, "Could you do me a favor?"

Alyssa scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "After what you just said to me? Ha!"

"Not that kind of favor," He drawled, rolling his eyes. "I left my potions book in the Herbology greenhouse; could you get it for me?"

"What's your potions book doing in the greenhouse?"

"I needed to get ingredients for a potion." He said plainly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Alyssa turned her head to see that he watching her. She observed him fully for the first time that night; his face was a shade paler than usual and his eyes were glazed over in a dark shade of gray. "Why should I?" she finally asked.

He looked contemplative and for a second even angry before he answered. "I'll make it up to you; I promise." He said flatly. Alyssa rolled her eyes for the billionth time that evening and stood up stretching her back.

"I've got nothing else better to do." She said, and made her way out the door. Of course he decided to leave his book somewhere _outside _when the weather was complete shit. She silently cursed herself for leaving her cloak behind; she was only wearing her Gryffindor robe which was a bit thin and wouldn't do too well against the rain. She only passed a few people as she walked through the halls; everyone had been indoors yet the castle had reverted to rather freezing temperatures so most students kept to their rooms.

She opened the doors and stepped out to the courtyard only briefly looking up at the sky. The rain poured down so heavily it was hard to see and her robe had soaked through almost immediately as she walked the few yards to the greenhouse. No one was outside; nor was professor Sprout in the greenhouse like she usually was. Alyssa stepped in and walked through the first few rooms until she reached the very back where students kept their belongings if they were to work in the greenhouse. There were tables lined up and a few chairs. Books were spread out everywhere but most of them were the fifth and sixth year Herbology text books.

There was no potions book to be found. She searched the shelves and even on the ground underneath the table but there was nothing. She stopped and furrowed her brows and placed a thoughtful finger on her chin.

"What the hell?" Alyssa said aloud before the air was suddenly knocked out of her body. Two hands had grabbed her arms from behind and she was thrown through the glass wall that enclosed the greenhouse. She gasped and coughed for air when she landed hard on the ground; she couldn't open her eyes as the heavy rain poured down on her. As soon as she gulped down a breath of air, she was seized by the front of her robes; a hand drew sideways and in a quick motion was brought down in a hard backhand.

The taste of blood reached Alyssa's senses; a ring must've caught on her lip. She could only tell her attacker was a man by the grunt he had made when he hit her and when she recovered from the hit she brought her knee up swiftly. The man on top of her fell silently to the side and she jumped up. She could hardly coordinate – she couldn't see a thing, there was mud everywhere and it sloshed heavily around her feet. She finally realized where she was and ran through the wall she'd crashed through, making her way back the way she came. She couldn't tell if she was being followed; the only sound she could hear was the speed of her heart beating and the rain pounding above.

Alyssa finally reached the edge of the greenhouse; the only thing separating her from the school now were the same few yards she had only just crossed between her and the courtyard. She streaked through the grass and took a deep breath of salvation as she flew in through the gates – but that breath turned almost immediately into a loud gasp as an arm wrapped itself around her neck and flung her backwards. She was sent back into the rain and nearly toppled over. She teetered back and forth, trying to keep her balance, and for a split second she could see her attacker. He was broad and clad completely in black robes. She couldn't even register what was happening before he had raised what looked like a potions book and took a full swing, hitting her in the side of the head.

She fell heavily to the ground; blinking heavily through the rain with the side of her face plastered in mud… two feet reached her vision which soon became cloudy… arms wrapped themselves underneath her knees and neck, lifting her into the air… and all was black.

* * *

**A/N: **Gah! it's out.. reviews please!


	19. Chapter 19

For the next few hours or possibly a day or two, – it was hard to tell through the haze – Alyssa was in and out of consciousness. Or at least it seemed that way. Every time she thought she opened her eyes she could only see her eyelashes or nose, it was too dark and she was too out of it to see much of anything else. The only thing she was sure of was the smell, and because of it she knew that wherever she was Draco was with her. She'd be able to smell the mixture of him and his cologne a mile away. Every now and then, even if unconscious, she could feel a wet washcloth dapping down her forehead to her cheek, she'd hear the shuffling of feet and the sound of a door opening and closing. There was nothing else…

When Alyssa actually woke up she still couldn't see anything in the dimly lit room. She was staring up at a ceiling and was lying on a plush comforter. She stiffened her arms and tried pushing herself before moaning and collapsing back down as a surge of pain coursed through her head. Weakly, she lifted her hand and touched it to the side of her head; it burned heavily and she winced again and sharply pulled it away from her head, only to see fresh blood on her fingertips.

She decided without needing to sort out the reasons that she wouldn't try getting up any time soon. Nearly a second later someone uttered '_Alohomora_' and the doorknob twisted. Alyssa snapped her eyes back shut not wanting to meet her visitor and relaxed as much as she could. The door opened and closed as the person walked in. They set something down onto what must've been a nightstand and Alyssa could hear the sound of dripping water. A towel was pressed to her head; she felt another surge of pain and everything once again faded to black.

The next time Alyssa woke up her head felt a bit lighter than usual, but whatever previous pain she was feeling had disappeared. She tried again pushing herself up and was successful. The room still wasn't lit that well but she could see the bed she was lying on, the nightstand next to it, and two chairs across from the bed. The bed was pushed up against the wall where she could see out a window. It looked like the sun was rising, and looking out the window she saw she was very high up from the ground. She waited patiently for a few minutes for the sun to rise some more and was glad that the light filled the room. It wasn't that large; there wasn't much else to the room than what she'd seen already save for a small mirror that hung on the wall next to the door. Alyssa was more eager than she should've been to see what she looked like and rushed to get off the bed. She hurried to stand up from the bed and cursed herself for her head gave a huge sway and she stumbled over into the nightstand knocking over a bowl of water. She frowned as the water sloshed out and the bowl clanked to the floor, a wet towel which must've been sitting in it was now spread next to her foot and was stained with blood.

She figured it'd be a waste of time to try and clean it and walked past it to the mirror. Once seeing her reflection she gasped in horror; she never thought she looked less recognizable. Most of her hair was matted with dirt, but as it got close to the forehead it was smeared with some fresh and some dried blood. She moved some of the hair out of her face and winced again; there was a huge long gash on the side of her head, trailing from her forehead to her cheekbone, and that's where most of the fresh blood was coming from. She wasn't sure how long she looked at it, but finally decided to move on. As a side note – there was her lip that was swelled up and adorned with a cut where she was hit in the face, and she was still wearing the clothes she had been when she was attacked. She was _covered_ in mud.

The door opened again and she gasped in surprise jumping away from the mirror. The person who came in had to turn around the door to see her and for a while they stared at each other; he was taller than her, with brown curly hair and a beat up looking face and was dressed in all black robes. He looked her up and down and then walked back out the door, shutting it behind him.

Alyssa stuttered in her steps. She wasn't sure if she should be panicking; if she should stay put or sit down at the bed. But the door opened again; she smelt that familiar smell and her heart stopped beating. Draco stepped through the door and shut it behind him, before looking at her and motioning for her to take a seat. But she wouldn't listen to what anyone had to say before she found out where the _hell_ she was; she stood exactly where she had been – right in front of the mirror. She looked him up and down, her heart still not beating, noticing he had a bag in his hand.

He noticed her glance and spoke up, "I'll show you to the bathroom where you can clean up; I'll have to go back to the castle to get your clothes but in the meantime you'll have to wear these." He told her, holding up the bag. She thought he might throw it at her but he simply held it in front of her until she took it. She watched him as his eyes trailed to her head where the gash was and then to the floor where the bowl was spilled over. He nodded his head towards the door motioning for her to follow him and stepped back out of the room.

Alyssa had no recollection of ever being in this hallway. White stone adorned the floor and along the walls where a few portraits of people she didn't recognize stared down their noses at her; they were all blonde. She looked back at Draco who was a few paces ahead of her; he seemed perfectly normal, except maybe he was dressed a little nicer in a black suit, yet he seemed to have a different air about him – a different posture even. She was completely confused and didn't know where she was or if she was in a horrible or good situation.

Draco eventually stopped at a door to their right and opened it. She followed him inside the bathroom and was thankful he didn't shut it behind them. There was a large bath in the center of the room that was already filled with steaming hot water and bubbles.

"You can take a bath and I'll come back in a little bit to get you." He paused looking at her head again, "A House Elf will be coming to fix that up; she can't use magic so I'll help with the rest when I come back." He set the bag down on a white bench that was against the wall and stood looking at her with his hands in his pockets. "Any questions?" He asked.

"Where am I?" She croaked out, she coughed after using her voice and her hand flew to her throat.

"Malfoy Manor," He replied before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her. The lock clicked and she turned to look at the bath. _So this is where he lives_, she thought. Her stomach dropped as realization set in. If she was in Malfoy Manor, then she was in a horrible situation, and it was now time to panic. Her heart sped up and she must've been having a panic attack; she began hyperventilating and rushed over to the bench where she sat grasping her chest, the room started to shake and it wasn't just in her head – the room was physically shaking. It was exactly like that time Brad had hypnotized her, all she could do was wait for it to pass over.

Finally she stood up and peeled her dirty clothes off. She walked to the bathtub and slowly got in, wincing as the hot water seeped into her skin. For the most part she'd enjoyed the bath – it felt amazing – but it did get a bit odd when the House Elf named Minnie came. She gently cleaned out her hair which Alyssa was grateful for since it hurt so much, and she also cleaned most of the blood away. But as Draco said, she couldn't use a wand so it wasn't exactly healed and some blood did start seeping out. Minnie left after tying her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck and Alyssa stepped out, wrapping a towel around her. She had no idea what time it was; she'd been wearing her watch but it stopped working because of all the mud.

She grabbed the bag that was sitting on the bench and took out the clothes. Once again she could tell by the smell that these were Draco's clothes. She didn't know how she could _possibly_ wear them being that he was so much bigger than her.

She put on the sweatpants and rolled them up five times; then put on the soft button up shirt that was also pretty baggy but her chest made up for some of it. There weren't any socks, and as her teeth chattered she grabbed a bathrobe that was hanging on a hook and put it on over her shoulders.

Just as she fastened the belt around her waist, the door opened and Draco stood at the door. He walked in and got so close to her that her heart stopped beating again. He stared at her face as if trying to intimidate her but pulled out his wand and waved it over her gash. She could feel it heal up and sighed with relief that she wouldn't have to stare at all that blood anymore.

He didn't say anything as he walked out but instead of going to the room where she'd been in before, they went to a bigger bedroom and one that was somewhat nicer. The bed was bigger, and there were more windows, and a fireplace with a couch.

Once again Draco motioned for her to sit down. She complied easily; she was too tired to even stand, and sat down on one end of the couch. He sat down on the couch as well, but not too close to her, and waved his wand towards the fire where it ignited instantly.

"How do the clothes fit?" He asked softly.

"How do you think?" She replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Her throat was killing her and she desperately needed a drink. He seemed to take note of this and summoned Minnie who popped away and back with a glass of water. Alyssa took it and practically chugged it down. She turned so her back was on the armrest and she was facing Draco, yet she couldn't find she could even look at him straightly. She still wasn't sure of what was going on… she observed him as he sat staring into the fire; he was wearing a ring that she hadn't ever seen him wear adorning the Slytherin crest.

"When did you get that ring?" She asked.

"I've had it; I don't wear it around you." He replied. She wasn't sure how to interpret that so she chose to not say anything. The crest reminded her of something – of the potions book she was hit with. She closed her eyes and her head throbbed as another realization settled in.

"You're the one who did this to me." She said. His head snapped over to look at her and she motioned to her lip and head.

He looked away from her, "Yes."

She sniffed and her eyes fell to her hands that were sweating in her lap. "How did you know?" He asked.

"You hit me with your potions book; that ring caught my lip… and I know how your body feels." She added, looking away as if ashamed that she let herself get so intimate with him. She scoffed after a few moments of silence and even chuckled as more and more things were passed through her mind.

"What is it?"

"It's just… I feel like people are prepared to throw a huge 'I told you so' at me."

"Are you angry?" She wasn't looking at him but she had a feeling if that if she looked at him he'd be wearing a smirk.

"I think the feeling of stupidity is more like it." She reasoned. "All year, nearly everyone was telling me to stay away from you. And of course I didn't listen… it even took me a while to convince myself you'd never do something like this… but I was very wrong, it seems."

Draco mumbled inaudible and she was curious enough to ask what. He grumbled again and she repeated the question until he finally looked up at her. "I said 'not entirely'."

Alyssa furrowed her brows completely confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He seemed very angry with himself for letting something like that come out of his mouth. He was silent for a few seconds before he answered. "They don't exactly trust me since the Quidditch match, so they put me under the Imperius… to make sure I'd really do that to you."

There was no need for her to ask who 'they' were. And more things started popping up in her head. She guessed that something along those lines would happen after what she saw in the vision… her heart twisted at the thought. And that had been why he was acting so strangely before she went down to the greenhouse, even his eyes which were glazed over. He was cursed. They fell in silence again before she thought of something.

"Would you have done it without it?" she asked quietly.

"Without what?"

"Without the curse… if you weren't under the Imperius would you still have done it?"

He looked away from her and into his lap; it was the first time that he'd really seemed uncomfortable since she'd seen him.

"I can't answer that."

Alyssa's eyes fell back into her lap not sure if that was a good or bad answer. Maybe his real answer was no, which would've been good and he couldn't admit it because of what was going on. Or maybe it was yes, and he still couldn't admit it because he didn't want to hurt her. Well he already did hurt her, didn't he? He was the one who got her where she was now.

"When did I get here?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

She nodded, now trying to add things together. So she'd been unconscious for not even a day; that meant that today was Tuesday, or at least Tuesday morning. For the first time that day she thought about Hogwarts. How long would it take for people to figure out where she was? Did they even know she was gone yet? There had been lots of days where she'd spend all of her time with Draco, not seeing anyone else, so even if people did notice they might think she was with him… She looked over to a large clock on the wall and it read quarter to eight. The day hadn't even started yet.

"Are you going to school then?" He nodded. She thought briefly that she was asking too many questions. But Draco had decided to sit with her for some reason so maybe he knew that this was coming. Either way, she wanted to figure out what was going on, and this was the only way to get some answers.

"Actually I'm leaving now." He said standing up.

"Am I staying in this room?" Draco nodded again. He walked through the door and shut and locked it behind him. Alyssa stood up and crossed the room to sit on the bed and lifted up the covers. She climbed in it easily, feeling incredibly wiped out. At least the bed was comfortable, she thought. Her head began to throb again and tears welled in her eyes, not because of the pain. She closed her eyes refusing to shed tears for him, for the amount of betrayal and stupidity she felt. She let herself fall… no, she couldn't even think about it. If she was going to feel anything it would be anger. She couldn't – _wouldn't_ let herself wallow in her own heartache; she knew how to be stronger than that.

She waved her hand towards the fire, putting it out, and then proceeded to wave at the curtains causing them to snap shut engulfing her in darkness.

When her eyes opened next, the room was completely black. Alyssa couldn't even see her hand as she waved it in front of her face which probably meant it was nighttime outside. She raised her hand, ready to light the fireplace but thought better of it. She couldn't see, she didn't know where the fireplace even was and figured it wouldn't be a good idea to set something on fire in the Malfoy Manor. Instead, Alyssa held up her hand, palm facing up, and soon an orb of white light surfaced, and hovered above it. The room lit up instantly, and she concentrated on nothing but the orb. She was soon focused enough that she could drop her hand and it still hovered midair.

She threw the covers off of her and looked at the clock. It was 8:45. Her stomach growled in the silence and she let her attention stray from the orb to the fireplace, where it lit almost immediately; she blinked and the orb disappeared.

Her head pounded painfully, she leaned over the edge of the bed and held her face in her hands. When she first woke up she wanted to feel as if everything that had occurred recently was a dream, and that she was really lying in her bed at Hogwarts. But this was no dream, and she wasn't at Hogwarts… Her fingers trailed over her face; over what used to be a bleeding gash on her head down to the scab that now formed on the corner of her lip. She sighed heavily and stood from the bed to stand in front of the window and pushed open the curtains. It was a dark and clear night. It seemed – ironically enough – that the weather decided to clear up now that she was locked up in this hellhole. Her attention once again drifted as she heard the lock of the door clicked and it opened; Draco stood in the doorway.

A small part of her rolled her eyes – she was quickly getting tired of this bull shit.

Once again he had a bag in his hand and he walked over to give it to her.

"I got you some clothes today." He said as she took it from him.

"Wait… what about Hermione?" She asked. She had figured Hermione would be the first person to realize what was going on, especially if Draco were to randomly stop by to pick up her clothes.

Draco took a step back, "At the moment, most people are under the impression that you have a stomach virus and are staying in my room. That or they think you're busy with me." He replied as if it was well rehearsed, Alyssa blushed. "I was able to get in your room when Hermione wasn't there." He added.

"Don't you think she'll figure out what's going on?"

He shrugged a shoulder as if it wouldn't matter. "I'm sure the Golden Trio will figure out what's going on long before the rest of the school. But I'll be gone by then."

"You're leaving Hogwarts?" He nodded and shrugged again, as if it was of no importance.

"I'll have to." He said simply before turning and walking back towards the door. "You should get changed, you're expected for dinner." He stood in the doorway as if waiting for her to change. She knew there was nothing else of her for him to see, but she wasn't about to budge with him watching. She raised her eyebrows at him and he seemed to take the hint; he walked through the door and shut it behind him.

She set the bag down and shuffled through it. Draco actually did a good job of picking out the right clothes, yet she blushed again seeing that he also picked out her underwear. She pulled out a fresh set of clothes and threw them on, followed by the sneakers that he also managed to pack. The only thing that was missing was her wand. She didn't have it with her when she got attacked; she'd left it in the common room where Draco was, so if anyone knew where it was or had it – it was him. Once she finished changing she crossed the room and opened the door where Draco was standing there waiting.

He didn't say a word before taking off down the hallway and she followed suit. She felt like she did when she first walked the hallways of Hogwarts, the only difference being how she wasn't happy and excited. They passed through two or three hallways before coming to an opening where they stepped down a wooden staircase. They walked down yet another hallway before coming to a white marble, grand staircase. Alyssa walked slowly down it behind Draco, staring at the beautiful entrance hall. It was mostly white marble with tiled flooring and tall white pillars along the walls to the very high ceiling. A large double sided, oak door adorned with glass paneling led to what Alyssa guessed was the front of the property. They walked down a hallway to their right and soon entered a kitchen. Alyssa thought that was it, but they walked through a set of doors that led to the dining hall.

One very long table with multiple chairs sat in the room with two candlelit chandeliers hovering above it. The table was empty. If Alyssa was being expected for dinner, wouldn't someone be there?

But a deep, smooth voice spoke at once. "You've grown since the last time I saw you."

The blood in her veins ran cold.

She turned to the voice that was coming from her right and her breathing sped up. Brian Shepard, her father, stood at the farther end of the table. If one was to look at the two of them standing next to each other, they'd see that just about every single feature save for the tan skin and the height was shared between them. They had identical violet eyes, and soft jet black hair. Even smaller details down to their full lips and the size and shape of their noses were exactly the same. He was Brad's height of 6'5", and had light, peach colored skin and was very good looking. He had very broad shoulders which seemed to be emphasized at that moment in his fancy suit.

There was no greeting, Alyssa couldn't form words, couldn't form any comprehensible thought as she stared at him. She hadn't seen him in seven years and with him up close and completely personal was a bit too overwhelming. Her head began pounding again and her jaw tightened.

"No 'hey dad'? No 'I've missed you these past years'?" He was smiling with his perfect teeth yet the tone of his voice sounded somewhat disappointed.

"You know I'd be lying if I said that." She finally gritted out. He chuckled softly and looked away before leaving his position and walking over to her. As soon as he was within arms reach she took two large steps back. He paused and frowned slightly, his violet eyes glinting, "I figured it'd be like this, I can't say I'm at all surprised."

He turned towards the table where he held out his arms, "Have a seat, you too Draco." Alyssa had completely forgotten Draco was even there and chanced a glance at him; he'd been watching her and Brian's interaction with severe interest. Alyssa, wanting to be as far away from _both _of them as she could, walked all the way around the table to sit at the opposite side. Brian rolled his eyes and sat down with Draco next to him. For someone who dressed so formal, he had always been completely casual with almost everyone he met.

As the three of them sat down, three plates filled with food and goblets appeared on the table in front of them. Alyssa didn't move, she stared at her father, even as her stomach growled at the smell of food.

"Just eat something, Alyssa." He sighed turning to Draco, "Is she always this stubborn?" He asked with a chuckle. Draco didn't answer; it seemed he was at a loss for words just as much as Alyssa was. He only glanced at her and a small smirk graced his features.

"Look," He said, sighing once more. "You've had a serious head injury, you've lost a lot of blood, and you haven't eaten for over a day, so even though I know you get some small ounce of satisfaction for not eating when I tell you to – just do it."

Alyssa clenched her jaw tightly before the room began to shake. Her hands were shaking underneath the table and Brian and Draco looked around the room, startled. The chandeliers above them were shaking, the candles flickering.

"Is that you?" Brian asked, looking back at Alyssa. She didn't answer, closed her eyes and took three deep, calming breaths before the shaking settled down. Without answering his question Alyssa raised her hands, grabbed her fork and knife and began eating. She had to admit the food did taste great, but she found that she didn't have that much of an appetite when eating under such circumstances.

"So how's your mother been?" Brian asked, bringing up small talk. Alyssa nearly choked on her food and sipped down her water.

"I wouldn't know," She mumbled, "I've barely seen her… then again, wouldn't you know how she's doing?" she asked. Brian didn't seem to understand and paused with his fork in midair. "You were the one who, not till recently, put her in the hospital." She said, remembering when he and Lucius attacked her mom on Alyssa's birthday.

Brian waved a dismissive hand, "That was a slight misunderstanding."

Alyssa stood up so fast her chair flipped over. "A slight misunderstanding?!" she shouted, "You could've killed her! None of us has bothered you since you left; you had no right doing what you did!" She was seething in anger and the room began to shake again.

Brian however, seemed quite calm. He pulled his wand out of his jacket and set it on the table with his hand on top of it. "Alyssa, I'd rather not resort to this," His eyes darting to the wand and back to her face. "Calm down and sit down." He said darkly. The shaking stopped and she picked up her chair and sat back down. "And as I said, there was a misunderstanding."

"What could she have possibly done that required that sort of reaction?" She asked incredulously.

He sighed and wiped his mouth, thinking over the right words to use in his head. "She knew some information that we needed to obtain from her."

"What sort of information?"

"What do you think?"

Alyssa nodded and bit her lip. "About me, then?" He nodded as well. She frowned staring into her plate wondering what the information was; she knew already that even if she asked, her dad wouldn't tell her. "So what? Am I just your hostage here?"

"Not a hostage, really. It's not like we've asked for ransom or anything." He replied, with a smirk appearing on his face.

"Then why am I here?" Her eyes drifted towards Draco; their eyes met but she looked away as quickly as they came.

Brian shifted, obviously not wanting to tell her. He settled on "You'll soon find out." And a small smile graced his features. Alyssa squirmed in her seat perfectly sure that she didn't want to find out and wanted to get the _fuck_ out of there as soon as possible.

Brian finished his dinner as well as Draco; Alyssa hadn't touched it since the subject of her mother was breached. He excused himself from the table saying he had 'matters to attend to,' leaving Draco and Alyssa by themselves. She couldn't raise her eyes from the table and didn't dare chance a look at him. Every time she did, her heart twisted just a bit tighter. She finally stood up, startling Draco from his still position, and walked around the table and back towards the kitchen. She wasn't exactly sure of where she was intending on going, but she could barely breathe being in his presence under such circumstances.

She yelped suddenly as he caught up to her and grabbed her by the elbow. She turned to look at him; he was very close, she could smell his scent. His eyes were dark and glistening as he looked down his nose at her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Away from you," She practically snarled trying to yank her arm out of his grasp.

He smirked at her and his hold didn't budge, "I'm taking you back to your room." His hand, if possible, gripped her around the elbow even tighter and he took off down the hallway, dragging her with him. They got to the entrance hall and went up the grand staircase and he continued pulling her.

"Ugh, get _off _me." She hissed, stopping completely to pull her arm away from him. She knew any fighting against him would be completely useless; Draco was much bigger and _much _stronger than her. He looked slightly annoyed and even a bit tired at her worthless fighting. She yanked her arm away before throwing her arm out and sinking her fist into his arm. His hold slackened and she took the opportunity to get her arm back and took three giant steps backward away from him.

Draco sneered and walked forward, at the same time she stepped backward until she felt her back hit the wall. He smirked as she found that there was nowhere else to go as he stood directly in front of her, he bent over so they could be eye level, and their noses were practically touching.

"Look, I could carry you back if I wanted to, but I'd much rather you cooperated." He said, acid dripping from his voice. Alyssa didn't respond until he grabbed her shoulder, pulled her away from the wall and shoved her forward. She nearly stumbled in the middle of the hallway but caught herself and glared at him. He hardly took notice and took off down the hallway with her following. Once they got to her room there was a man standing there in completely black robes; probably a Death Eater, she figured. Draco mumbled something incoherent to him before opening the door and turning back to Alyssa. He waited expectantly but she didn't budge, and he finally stepped towards her and pushed her into the room.

Alyssa scoffed and turned back to look at him, "You can't keep me locked in here like some animal." She said seriously. He merely smirked at her and shut the door in her face, locking it as he went. She could hear his footsteps echoing down the hallway but figured the Death Eater she saw was still standing there, making sure she stayed put.

She walked to the center of the room and held a hand to the side of her face. The room started shaking yet again but it was only a dull vibration. She had to keep herself under control; her emotions were getting out of hand. Nearly every room she'd been in that day had started to shake. But being locked in this room wasn't going to do anything but drive her insane. She had to get out – even if was only to walk around the Manor. Thinking of trying to escape was completely useless, she had already reasoned. The Malfoy Manor was probably surrounded by so many wards that even Dumbledore himself would have trouble getting in. This meant she'd be wasting her time and energy only to be stopped. If she were to get out of this room, the only problem would be her 'guard'. He most definitely had a wand and she didn't; but then again if she was as powerful as people kept making it out to be, then he should be easy to dispose of.

With a sudden confidence, Alyssa turned towards the door. She hadn't done anything but simple stuff and this would be new, but she may as well get some practice while she had the time. She focused her mind on the door, picturing in her head what she wanted to accomplish. She raised her right hand, and swung with a backhand motion. It was as if the hinges of the door exploded, and the thing itself was thrown out of the frame and into the wall on the opposite side. Alyssa took a few steps forward bracing herself and sure enough the Death Eater came through the doorway, his wand raised. She barely made a move of her hand before he was thrown sideways and heavily hit the wall. He slid down it, his head slumped forward – he was unconscious.

Alyssa punched her fist triumphantly in the air, her heart racing. _That was so awesome!_

She poked her head out the doorway, looking both ways to see if anyone heard the commotion. There was no one in sight. Seeing the end of the hallway not far down to her left, she decided to head down the direction to her right.

Soon she reached a staircase and went down one flight. The landing was wide with a part for three different directions. Alyssa went straight, passing doors to her left and right. There was a window at the end of it and looking out it she saw what must've been the Malfoy's backyard. It was huge, and because it was so dark out she couldn't see specifically what was out there. But closer to the Manor was the patio that had a long glass table with four chairs on each side, and one at each head. The edge of the patio was surrounded by flowers, and further down was a tall, circular fountain. The running water was gleaming in the moonlight.

There was nothing much else to see with the lack of light so she decided to move on. She walked back down the hallway and made a right turn in front of the staircase. This hallway was longer but there were fewer doors. There were portraits hanging on the walls and next to a door a certain portrait caught her attention.

Lucius Malfoy stood tall and proud in front of the fountain she was just looking at with what must've been Narcissa and toddler version of Draco.

Alyssa had never met Narcissa and wasn't amazed to see how beautiful she was. Her white blonde hair flowed down to her waist and looked an even more shade of silver against the pale blue color of her dress. She sat at the fountain with Lucius standing next to her and Draco was in her lap. They had managed to get him into a black suit and tie though he seemed very squeamish. Narcissa managed to smile brightly at her child as she coaxed him to settle down and he smirked at the camera. Alyssa had a ghost of a smile on her face; some things never changed. But Narcissa nudged him gently again until he smiled a full, broad smile.

Curiosity was killing her cat and she twisted the doorknob of the door next to the portrait. She held her breath and pushed it open; it was completely dark in the room so she created the orb of light and made it hover at the ceiling of the room, lighting it up. She took one breath and immediately knew she was in Draco's room. And if that wasn't enough she could tell by how the room was decorated that it was his. It was a decent sized room with an off-white carpet and light blue walls. Against the wall to her left was his bed. It was a platform, king-sized bed made from solid wood and a black stained finish with a headboard that rose about a foot higher than the two pillows that were set on the mattress. Unsurprisingly, the bed was already perfectly made with white sheets and a black comforter. Above the bed was a large opened window with white curtains that were fluttering from the wind. Alyssa surveyed the room as she walked to the bedside. Across the bed was a small stone fireplace with a chair in front of it and against the wall was a dresser made of the same material as the bed and a mirror above it.

_So this is Draco's room_, she thought. She had always wanted to see where he lived, where he slept and it was partly satisfying to be standing in it at that moment. Too bad he was a lying bastard who completely betrayed her and was now working alongside her psychopath father.

"What are you doing in my room?"

* * *

**A/N: **sry bout the cliffy last chapt but it was just so good! i couldn't just... go onnnn, but i since i updated with this one so quickly it's alright

Thanks to all the reviews i've been getting! it's been so awesome and as usual i ask for more! hope you're enjoying the story!


	20. Chapter 20

"_What are you doing in my room?"_

Alyssa's heart practically shot out of her chest as she took in a huge, gasping breath. Her hand flew to her mouth to smother a scream and she whipped around nearly taking herself out; the orb that was the only source of light went out instantly with a crack, obscuring them in darkness.

"_Lumos_," Draco muttered, pointing his lit wand in her face. Alyssa, still panting, held her hand in front of her eyes while waving her other towards the fireplace to light it up. "_Nox_," Alyssa stared at his face, one of his brows was cocked and he looked quite confused. She tried sidestepping him, maybe this would be no big deal and she could just continue browsing like it never happened, but he stepped in front of her blocking her path. She tried it once more and he raised his wand.

"All right, all right," She said quickly, holding up her hands in defeat.

"What are you doing in my room?" He repeated.

"Just taking a tour." She replied quietly. Draco lowered his wand and took a step towards her. The backs of her knees were already touching the edge of his bed so there was really no place else to go.

"In my room?"

"Well… I just happened to end up here, I guess." He nodded taking another step towards her.

"You broke out, I take it?" He asked taking yet another step closer. Her heart was racing and she could barely form words as she spoke.

"Yes… these powers are pretty handy." She said in a choked voice; he was now directly in front of her – her nose practically touching his chest. Time seemed to slow down drastically as he raised his hand as if to touch her. It hovered slightly over the side of her neck before she leaned backwards, "Could you not?" she asked, trying to conceal the pleading in her voice.

She raised her eyes to look into his and immediately regretted it for now she wouldn't be able to look away. His eyes, for the first time since the day of her attack, were their usual beautiful silver. He ignored her request and his hand touched the skin of her neck – it burned instantly. She cursed her own body for betraying her and closed her eyes.

"Could I not, what?" He asked softly.

She hissed as his hand moved to cup her jaw. "_That_ – could you not do that?" Her eyes opened again to see a small smirk fall on his face.

"You don't want me to touch you?" He asked.

"You kind of lost that right when you put me in here." She snapped, and finally deciding to take matters into her own hands, she shoved him hard away from her. For a brief second he seemed startled but it vanished as fast as she thought she saw it.

He held a hand to his chest trying to look offended, "Now that hurts," He scoffed, the smirk still on his face.

Alyssa tried hard to stand her ground but was suddenly becoming faint. She couldn't bear to be in such close proximity as him; especially when he found the sudden urge to lay his hands on her. She raised a clammy hand to her face and made for the door. This time Draco didn't stop her but he did leave the room and walked side by side with her. She tried to ignore him but he decided to speak up.

"Where do you think you're going?" She ignored him continuing to feel like she was going to be sick. He grabbed her elbow and spun around making them stop in the middle of the hallway. "You can't just wander around."

"Well I can't go back to that room either. I made quite the mess of it." She replied.

"You're right," Alyssa cocked an eyebrow; she was? "Which means I'll have to make…" He paused as if thinking for the right word. "…arrangements."

"Wait, wait, wait," She said holding up a hand. "_You_ are not coming up with my _arrangements_."

"I'm the one who's supposed to look after you, I'll make the arrangements." He disagreed.

Alyssa shook her head, "No, because knowing you I'll be spending the rest of the night locked up in your room." She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked over at Draco to be sickened at the sight of his stupid smirk on his face. Without saying a word he took off down the hallway. She dropped her arms and let out a frustrated growl as she took off after him. When she finally caught up to him she had to keep at a slight jog to keep up.

"You're not going to Lucius, are you?" She asked hesitantly. But he didn't seem to mind the question.

"He won't be here till tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" She asked.

His steps faltered for only a moment, he looked at her briefly but ignored her so she moved on to the next question. "So you'll be seeing… my dad?" Draco nodded. Good – if her dad had any sort of 'fatherly' features he'd be protective of her enough to get her a single room.

Thirty minutes later found that she was correct. She was now lying in bed in a new room yet there were now three guards standing outside her door – which was now heavily warded with magic. At first she didn't think she'd fall asleep so quickly; but now that she was lying comfortably in a warm plush bed she found she could barely keep her eyes opened. Her head had been throbbing practically all night and she felt more wiped out than ever. But she did get a taste of her powers that night; she'd only done small stuff before with fire and light and lifting up objects… but she'd actually taken out a Death Eater! If only Hermione was there to talk about it with... she definitely would've flipped… but she was back at Hogwarts…

_She was standing in a field. White roses surrounded her, reaching up to just below her fingertips. She ran her fingers through her hair breathing in the fresh air. There weren't houses for miles. This field was meant just for her._

_He approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her softly at the top of her head._

"_It'll get worse you know." He said._

_She nodded staring up into the sky. "I know, things are never as easy as they seem." She replied._

"_I'll be there to help you in the end. That's far from now, though."_

_She turned and stared into his beautiful green eyes. "When is the end? What's going to happen to me?"_

_He frowned looking to the ground. "Don't worry about it. It's already been planned. You can't stop it." He finished the sentence sharply._

"_Hey," He said smiling, "Look at that."_

_She turned around, her surroundings changing immediately. She was now standing on a white marble floor, hand in hand with Harry._

"_What's going on?" She asked. He held a finger to his lips before pointing it forward. Really looking around for the first time she realized a crowd of dark, hooded figures were kneeling around them. One face in particular grabbed her attention; he was the only one who wasn't wearing a hood and his white blonde hair gleamed against the candlelight. She stepped forward but stopped turning back to look at their clasped hands then to Harry's face._

"_Don't leave me." She pleaded softly._

_He smiled, raising a hand to her face. "I'll never leave you." He answered seriously before pressing his lips to hers. He pulled away and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear._

_She turned back around, looking at the young man who was kneeling before her. She slowly took a few steps towards him until they were arm lengths away; she lowered herself to a kneeling position and grasped his face in her hands._

"_What have you done?" She asked, her voice cracking._

_He raised his silver eyes to look into her own. "I've taught you to trust me." He said._

_A tear slid down her cheek as she looked at him. "I know... but things seem to change don't they?" She said in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned around to look at Harry who was watching them intently, but once she turned back to look at Draco she winced sharply. She dropped her hands from Draco's face to observe them, palms facing skyward – they were smeared with blood._

"_What's happening to me?" She asked him._

"_You'll soon find out…" He trailed as his eyes looked away from her to something behind her. Her head looked over her shoulder, and a blinding green light filled her vision._

Alyssa's eyes snapped open; her head throbbed painfully as she threw the covers off of her and sat at the edge of the bed. Why didn't she think of this before? Even when Harry put the idea into her head she completely brushed it off. But now she knew – her dreams _did _mean something. She hadn't realized it at all, hadn't added things up together. But the dream she just had was so vivid, so _familiar_. If only she had a quill and some parchment so she could write down what she remembered from all of her dreams. She jumped off the bed and hurried over to the dresser and opened the numerous drawers – nothing. She went back to the nightstand – still nothing. She stood, pausing. Maybe Draco happened to pack some makeup. She stopped herself about halfway to getting her duffel bag out, why the _hell_ would he get her makeup?

She sat back down on the bed and pressed her face into her hands. So maybe she wouldn't be able to write them down, she'd just have to do this the hard way.

The first dream; she remembered telling Hermione about something after the first party she'd been to at Hogwarts. She had fallen down a flight of stairs, she was covered in blood… and there was that green flashing light.

After the second dream she had, she woke up throwing up and spent the weekend in the hospital wing. It was almost the exact same dream she had only moments ago except for a few things. In that second dream she hadn't spoken to Draco, but she remembered something red. And her chest had been hurting so much…

The next dream she had wasn't really a dream as much as the Imperius curse and sleep put together… she furrowed her brows thinking hard now. She could only remember two other things that were just like this. One was the vision she had which led up to the Quidditch match, and the other was the dream she had where Draco was tortured. But her dad and Lucius had been talking about something… a ritual.

Suddenly things went soaring through her head. The first time she really used her powers was after Brad helped her out with the trigger spell and her chest felt like it was being ripped apart… and there was the green light. Putting the killing curse aside, the green light had been present during the trigger spell which was like some sort of ritual. "So," Alyssa said aloud, clapping her hands together. Maybe the ritual they wanted to perform on her was somewhat like the trigger spell except… more powerful, much more powerful. If she could be used as a weapon for the war, a weapon that people like her dad and Lucius who eventually led to… Voldemort… would use then it'd have to be extremely powerful.

Alyssa's stomach dropped and she felt sick. So sick she ran to the door and tried opening it – obviously it was locked so she banged on it a couple of times.

"Look, I know I'm not supposed to be out of this room," She said quickly, "But I'm gonna puke all over this place if I'm not out in -" The door opened before she could even finish her sentence. The same man she first saw waking up after being attacked was the man who opened it. The other two stood on either side of the doorway; each man had their wands out. The man snatched her wrist and dragged her quickly to the bathroom and looking over her shoulder, Alyssa saw that the other two had decided to follow them. They arrived at the bathroom as soon as she started to gag and she flew through the door and directly to the toilet where she emptied her stomach of all its contents. She leaned back, sitting on the floor and wiped her mouth with toilet paper.

"You done?" The man asked; he had a ridiculously high pitched voice. Alyssa stood up and flushed the toilet before making the return back to her room. She sat at the bed and raised a clammy hand to her forehead. Looking out the window she saw that the sun was about to rise; she really needed to get some sleep. She rolled her eyes at the thought. How could she possibly fall asleep with what she just figured out? Saying that she was nervous didn't even amount to a quarter of what she was feeling.

She thought of the other things that her dreams had in common. Like the blood that she was always covered in, or the fact that she was always with Harry. What was he, her guardian or something? And why did he kiss her? It's not like they like each other, they'd already discussed that. Maybe it was some sort of odd 'I love you but not in that way,' sort of thing, she thought. She did love Harry, not like a lover and not exactly like a brother, it was somewhere in between.

Alyssa went back on the covers and rested on her back. Speaking of Harry, she wondered if anyone had noticed she was gone yet. Maybe other students didn't… but Hermione especially should've realized it already. And if they did realize it, were they doing anything to help her? She wouldn't go down without a fight, but she still wouldn't be able to do much on her own. Would they do anything in time to stop this… whatever it was the Death Eaters were planning? Chills went through her body as she remembered what Draco had said earlier. He said that Lucius wasn't going to be there till tomorrow night, and when she had asked about it he was taken off guard… what if what they were planning was… tomorrow night?

Alyssa woke up in the afternoon by being shaken roughly out of her sleep. Her eyes opened groggily to only see Draco's silver eyes hard and dark grey.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She croaked.

"Get up." He ordered continuing to shake her.

"Don't touch me." She said and rolled over to close her eyes. Draco grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the bed causing her to crash to the floor. He seemed continually impatient by this and grabbed her other arm as well to pull her into a standing position. "I said don't touch me." Alyssa said, angrier this time and shoved him backwards with both hands. She must've been more on edge than usual since she was so roughly disrupted for when she pushed him he went shooting backwards into the wall. He landed with a loud thud and his back left an imprint in the wall but he didn't seem at all effected. Instead he glared at her and pulled his wand out.

"I didn't mean to, all right?" Alyssa reasoned calmly, raising her hands in defeat. She was still half asleep and was too delirious to put up much of a fight. "What's your problem, anyway?" she asked rubbing at her eyes.

"Just get some clothes; I'll take you to the bathroom to clean up." Alyssa rolled her eyes and grabbed the duffel bag and was then escorted to the bathroom where she showered and dressed for the day. She wondered what she should wear, just incase what was going down went down that night. She put on jeans and her sneakers with a navy t-shirt. She silently wished she had a hair tie so she could put her long hair up; it was now down to her waist.

Once she stepped out of the bathroom Draco grabbed her arm again and led her down the hall. Why did he always find it was completely necessary to drag her around all the time?

"Where are you taking me?" she mumbled.

"We're getting something to eat." He answered.

A thought occurred to her; "Shouldn't you be at school?"

He took a moment to answer but didn't stop walking, "It was time to leave." He said simply. When they got to the kitchen they didn't continue to the dining room she was in the previous night; instead they sat at a square marble table that was against the wall with opened windows. It was a bright and sunny day outside – Alyssa grimaced. Once they sat down the food popped up on the table.

Alyssa found she didn't have much strength to eat; she was still feeling sick from the previous night and didn't want to have another episode.

"You should eat; you'll need your strength." Draco said.

Alyssa dropped her fork with a loud clank and her head shot up to look at him – he looked quite startled at himself as well.

"What?"

Draco ignored her and picked up his fork to start eating.

"Draco," She said his name softly causing him to look up, "What does that mean?" He still ignored her and she repeated the question a bit more firmly.

"Nothing," He said angrily and got up from the table and walked away. Alyssa furrowed her brows and stared at her food. So it was happening tonight; and he knew it. Alyssa, now especially, could not find the strength to eat and shoved her plate away. She held her head in her hands; now what was she supposed to do?

She rose from the table and left the kitchen. She made the first left out the doorway and eventually made it to two glass doors that led to the backyard she had observed the previous night. To her surprise the door was actually opened and she stepped outside. There was much more to see now that it was daytime; the Malfoy property went on for acres. She walked beyond the table and off the patio. To her left was a very large garden that had several rows of different sorts of plants and flowers including picket fences that was draped with vines that twirled and rose high. Alyssa walked until her feet touched the edge of the top of a steep, grassy hill. Down the hill on her right was what she recognized as horse stables which meant the Malfoy's probably had horses. She decided to make herself comfortable and sat down on the grass.

The sun was warm against her skin and she pulled her hair out of her face so the light could seep in. Soon finding herself bored she decided to fool around with some magic. She held out her hand, palm facing up, and the usual orb of light hovered above it. Then she lifted her left hand (which was her free hand) and touched the orb. She winced instantly and snatched her hand back. The orb was scolding hot, and seemed to be quite solid. Alyssa quirked her lips and stood up, the orb still hovering. She looked around for something to aim at; not to far on her left was a large bush that was trimmed into a square. She raised her arm, the orb rising along with it, and as if she was pitching a baseball she threw it towards the bush.

The orb hit the bush with a loud crackling noise and it burst into flames. Alyssa's eyes lit up in surprise before waving her hand and distinguishing the fire, but the damage was done.

"My mother would kill you if she found out you did that to her beloved garden." Alyssa turned her head to see Draco watching her. It was warm yet he was dressed in his usual all black clothing including a cloak that was billowing slightly in the wind. Alyssa turned her back to him and stared back out towards the sky.

"Well I guess that wouldn't matter much seeing as that'll be taken care of tonight." She said.

Draco didn't answer to that but instead said, "No one said anything about that."

Alyssa tapped her head, "Added things up, I guess." She sighed; what she'd just said was the first thought she ever had about actually... dying. She thought about fighting obviously, but it didn't seem anyone was coming to rescue her which meant she'd be on her own. And as powerful as people may have made her out to be, that didn't mean she could save herself against however many Death Eaters.

She closed her eyes as the wind brushed her face. It seemed that death was way too much of a possibility to be able to brush off.

Her heart twisted at the thought of dying. She thought of some of the people she loved; Brad, Ginny, Harry… even… she turned around to look at Draco who was still watching her.

"How long have you known about this?" She asked quietly. Her heart sped up; that was the one question she had wanted to ask him since the moment she found out she was in Malfoy Manor.

His jaw clenched tightly but he didn't seem uncomfortable, he didn't flinch at her scrutiny.

"Since the end of 6th year," he answered.

Alyssa tried hard to keep her jaw from falling opened, and tried desperately not to cry. He had known that this was going to happen all year… with everything they went through, everything they did, everything they said… it was all a lie.

Alyssa took two large steps forward, closing their distance and without a moments hesitation she raised her right hand and with a loud _crack_, slapped him hard in the face. His head snapped to the side and his pale cheek turned a bright shade of red instantly, and before she could even read the expression of his face she shoved herself past him and walked back inside to eventually find her room.

Later that night when Alyssa was staring into the fireplace the door opened revealing the three Death Eaters who'd been guarding her and Draco. It was time, it seemed. No one said a word as Draco walked into the room to where she was sitting, pulled her into a standing position and took her downstairs. She felt like a bomb that was about to explode with the Death Eaters flocking around her, keeping her from view. When they reached the bottom of the grand staircase they took a left instead of a right like they had previously done. There was a single wooden door and when they walked through it Alyssa's jaw dropped.

It must've been some sort of ballroom; the floor was stone giving it a bit of a gothic edge. Tall, thin white pillars lined the sides of the room up to the very high and angled ceiling. Four candlelit chandeliers hung from each corner of the room, and a small crystal chandelier, that had no lights but reflected off the others, glittered in the middle.

The floor was cleared and Alyssa thought she was alone. But once taking a look around the room she saw that tons, she couldn't count for there were too many, of Death Eaters surrounded her. As she looked around whispers started spreading around the room, many murmurs of 'she's here' could be heard. She wasn't sure if it was the combination of nervousness, fright and anger but she was feeling unnaturally calm.

"Yes, she's here." A voice said. Alyssa closed her eyes, recognizing the voice instantly. She tried to look over the Death Eater's shoulders but Draco's hold seemed to do nothing but tighten on her upper arm.

"Get off me," She hissed and was surprised to see he let go so easily. But observing him she realized he wasn't paying much attention at all to her. He was staring straight forward, eyes solid and unmoving, and his stance hard. Alyssa pushed herself in front of the Death Eaters and nearly reared back sharply.

Lucius stood very close to her. He stared down his pointed nose at her; if she didn't hate him so much she'd think Draco had actually gotten his good looks from him.

"Alyssa Bennington," He drawled, the whispers increased tenfold. "A pleasure it is, really."

"Lucius," She returned. She looked away from him noticing for the first time that her father was standing in line with the Death Eaters, dressed in the same black robes. It was the first time she ever really saw him like this, in rank with the others. She felt something brush her arm and looked up to see Draco standing by her side, her heart twisted a bit more. This would've been a comforting gesture – even protective – if they weren't under these circumstances, and if he hadn't been lying to her all this time.

"Well done, Draco. We did have our doubts," He said softly, giving a backward glance towards Brian, "But you've performed admirably. The Dark Lord will be pleased." There was a murmur of approval throughout the room and Alyssa snorted foolishly. All eyes in the room turned to look at her and she tried to act like nothing had happened.

"Something you'd like to add?" Lucius drawled. Alyssa raised her eyebrows and for the first time that night Draco actually turned his head to look at her. He was so close that as he raised his hand to grasp her arm that it went by unnoticed, it was as if he was restraining her.

"Well," she started slowly, "It's just that you say that as if he actually _wants _to be like you." She tried shaking off his grip but he wouldn't let go; only gripped harder, which made her realize that this was the one thing he hadn't lied about to her.

A silence passed throughout the room that you'd be able to hear a pin drop, yet a smirk rose to the elder Malfoy's face. "What makes you so sure?"

"Only that -" she was cut off abruptly as Draco yanked her arm sharply. This seemed to get Luicius's attention in a bad way and he slowly withdrew his wand from his robes. It was an action that made it seem like he believed her. "Get your hands off me." She snapped, slapping his hands away.

"Alyssa," He tried saying as he tried fending off her shoving hands, but she was getting sick and tired of his tendency of grabbing her. For the second time that day she wrestled free, drew her arm back and hit him in the face. Brian stepped forward, pulling out his wand as well only to stand a few feet behind Lucius who was watching the fighting pair. In a split second, before anyone was able to tell what was going on in the frenzy of hands, Draco retaliated. Alyssa gasped as she saw what was going to happen; he clenched a fist and hit her in the cheek sending her straight to the ground. Alyssa grunted as she landed hard on the stone floor and she raised a hand to feel the side of her face. It seemed, much like the first time he hit her that his ring caught on her face; blood was slowly dripping down her face.

"_Crucio!_" Her father shouted, and Draco stumbled backwards writhing in pain. Lucius looked back at Brian, clearly startled. "I'd appreciate it if he didn't _manhandle_ my daughter." He snapped quickly. Alyssa stood up and flicked her hand at her father, the crowd parted as he was sent flying backwards into one of the pillars that lined the walls. The curse broke and Draco stood, gasping for air. He looked quizzically to Alyssa who was shaking in anger. The chandeliers above them started to shake and swirls of flames began to dance around her clenched fists.

He had actually hit her this time, no Imperius; it was of his own free will.

Lucius who hadn't done much through this ordeal suddenly raised his hands, "Enough!" he shouted. He looked back at Brian who was now recovering and slowly walked over to them. "It is time." Lucius said to him.

The silence in the room ended as people began talking excitedly amongst themselves. Alyssa, her fists burning, glared at her father. He didn't mind the look and lifted up the sleeve of his robes, revealing the Dark Mark. He brought his wand and touched the tip to the Mark… Lord Voldemort was summoned.

* * *

**A/N:** Here it issss, man this chapter was a tough one not gonna lie, but i think it turned out pretty well, what do you think?

Thanks to all the reviews, they've all been lovely! hope you're enjoying it!


	21. Chapter 21

The moments of anticipation passed by very slowly; no one was moving save for the four people who were in the clearing on the ballroom floor. Brian and Lucius seemed to be having a heated discussion, their hands moving animatedly. Alyssa calmed down a few notches, the shaking stopped, the flames ceased, but her hands still felt like they were on fire. She touched a hot hand to her cheek feeling that the streaks of blood had dried up; she wondered briefly what her cheek really looked like. Draco stepped towards her at once causing Alyssa to take an instinctive step back. It was the first time she had ever, truly been afraid of him.

"What are you playing at?" He hissed in an undertone. "Are you _trying_ to get me killed?"

"I don't exactly care what happens to you," Alyssa said putting a good enough distance between them. "Voldemort is on the way, I'll probably be dead meat by the end of the night and you're worried that someone might _think_ you don't want to be one of them?" She jutted her hands at their fathers.

"That's not true," He said shaking his head, "You do care."

"How would you know?"

"Because you just tried to protect me from your father," He replied smoothly, a slight smirk rising on his lips. Alyssa had no retort so she chose to ignore him. He had a point though, she thought. As much as she wanted to wring his neck with her bare hands, she knew she wouldn't be able to get over him _that_ easily. In only seven months he'd managed to worm his way into her heart and had gotten underneath her skin… That wasn't something anyone could forget with ease. She shook the thoughts out of her head; she wouldn't be able to focus enough if he kept crawling into her mind. She waved her hands around trying to cool them off; they were bright red and she would have killed just to dunk them in a bucket of ice water.

Suddenly there was a stir in the back of the room. Alyssa hadn't noticed this before; behind the line of Death Eaters were two glass doors that must've been another exit to the backyard. The doors opened, the crowd parted. Alyssa stopped breathing – Voldemort had arrived.

His pale skin seemed to glitter in the light, and his red eyes glinted underneath the hem of his hood. The thin black robes he was wearing dragged silently across the stone floor as he walked elegantly into the ballroom. Alyssa had never seen him in person and she wondered how people like the Malfoy's could have him just waltz through their home. The slits he had for nostrils alone were enough to make Alyssa want this night to just end quick and painless.

She stood completely rooted to the spot as Voldemort entered the clearing and stopped about ten feet away from her. The Death Eaters surrounding them all bowed, including Lucius, her father and Draco. She and Voldemort were the only ones standing.

"Alyssa Bennington…" He whispered. Chills passed up and down her spine. Everyone stood back up. He walked towards her, and time seemed to slow down as he slowed to a stop directly in front of her. "It is indeed a pleasure to finally meet you," He said softly, "I've only had glimpses of you through the minds of others." His red eyes left hers briefly to look behind her. Alyssa did the same and turned around to look at Draco who was a bit paler than usual and his expression looked slightly embarrassed.

Alyssa slowly turned back around to once again face Voldemort. Her heart was beating so fast that it would probably have sounded like a dull hum.

Much to her relief, Voldemort turned away from her and walked back to her father and Lucius. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone move amongst the still figures. She couldn't really tell what his face looked like but that greasy hair would be recognizable anywhere. It was Snape. He seemed to look at her the same time she looked at him and their eyes met; that was why she recognized him when she went to her first potions class at Hogwarts. She had recognized him as a Death Eater.

Her attention went back to Voldemort, Lucius and Brian as they talked in hushed voices. Alyssa couldn't make out anything from the conversation and she was beginning to feel anxious.

Suddenly Voldemort turned around saying, "Let's see what we can do then, shall we?" Raised his wand and shouted, "_Crucio!_"

The curse hit her before she could even register what was going on. She doubled over in pain immediately, and she wasn't sure if the murderous screams were aloud or just in her head. She had only been through this once before when she was a kid and she'd forgotten how excruciating it was. The curse was lifted almost as quickly as it hit and she whimpered in relief. Her body was shaking all over as well as the chandeliers above them.

"You can do better than that," Voldemort said laughing, "Fight it!"

He pointed his wand at her again, shouting the curse. Alyssa fell to her knees this time, violent tremors shook her body and it was hurting too much now to scream. Her skin felt like it was being ripped apart. But somewhere in the back of her mind was listening to Voldemort's words. She had fought off the Imperius, she could do this too. She just had to get a grip on it. Her hands were pressed onto the stone floor and she took deep breaths. He didn't relieve her of the curse so it would get stronger and stronger until he broke her mind. She concentrated hard; for a second her body went rigid. And as if an outlet, a green jet of light poured through her palms and into the stone, the ground shook beneath them. The curse was broken.

Alyssa forced herself to stand up, breathing hard. Voldemort smirked at her and she winced as he raised his wand again. But this time he shouted "_Imperio!_"

Any pain she was feeling left her body. Instead she felt very airy, as if she were floating. She could see everything clearly but it was like her vision was unfocused.

"_Kill him…_" a voice said suddenly inside her head.

"Kill who?" She thought.

"_Draco Malfoy… kill the younger Malfoy_." The voice said.

Alyssa shook her head visibly, everyone watched with curious eyes. "I don't want to."

"_But look at what he's done, he's betrayed you… you're here because of him_."

"I can't." She wasn't sure if she had said it aloud or thought it, she was still shaking her head. She felt her joints twist painfully as she turned to face Draco.

"_Kill him_!"

Her hand raised painfully against her will, "NO!" and this time she really did shout out loud. Draco flinched but no curse was shot. She turned to glare at Voldemort and this time he didn't look pleased; quite the contrary. "Lucius," He hissed, and Lucius what at his side in an instant. Voldemort began talking in an undertone that no one could understand yet Lucius seemed to comprehend quite clearly. Lucius nodded once – twice before turning to Brian and muttering some more. Alyssa had finally gotten her breath back as he walked away and returned with a long, shining dagger. She gasped lightly and took a step back. Draco seemed to know fully well what was going on and took a step forward.

Brian walked towards her but stopped when Voldemort spoke his name. "Let the boy do it." He said.

Alyssa looked at Draco who seemed angry with himself and visibly clenched his jaw. Brian however tried to argue, "We agreed…" He said, but trailed as Voldemort's steely gaze broke him down. He sighed and turned to Draco handing him the dagger, "You know what to do then?" Draco nodded as he took the dagger.

He turned towards Alyssa whose heart was racing. She moved to get away before he touched her shoulder gently. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly, and for some reason Alyssa believed him.

Draco rolled up his left sleeve, exposing his pale forearm, making sure it was tucked securely around his elbow. Alyssa watched silently as he raised the blade and dragged it across the skin of his forearm. He didn't wince or make any noise, just furrowed his brows as he cut his own arm. The blood seeped out immediately and began dripping over the rest of his arm. His arm stayed still and he handed the dagger back to Lucius. He then took a step closer to Alyssa, she stopped breathing but he moved slowly so that she wouldn't freak out. Both of his hands moved forward and clasped the hem of the collar of her shirt and he tugged, ripping it opened to reveal her breast plate. Her chest wasn't rising or falling for she still hadn't taken a breath. Draco's eyes didn't leave hers; he rubbed his fingertips in the blood on his arm and touched his fingers to her chest. Alyssa finally gasped as the warm liquid touched her skin. His hand moved, drawing something over her skin that she couldn't see. He dipped his fingertips in the blood once more to finish what it was that he had started.

Her heartbeat was beginning to slow, surprisingly. It didn't even rise as Draco bent down and pressed his lips against hers. Alyssa's lips burned as they were connected with his; the kiss was brief and his hand moved to hold her neck as he pulled away slightly. His now silver eyes poured into her own as if he was raking through her brain and his voice suddenly sounded in her mind. _I've taught you to trust me_.

Draco stepped back and looked towards Voldemort who appeared almost apprehensive. There was silence, and Alyssa raised her eyebrows waiting for whatever was supposed to happen.

"I told you I should have done it." Brian mumbled.

Voldemort stepped forward and suddenly every pair of eyes dropped to the floor. It was rumbling beneath them.

Alyssa gasped loudly, "Oh!" The eyes turned to look at her and she stepped backward. A pain she had only felt once before was going through her body. Her chest felt like it was being ripped open and caving in. She couldn't breathe, couldn't even comprehend a thought as the pain rippled through her. She screamed out and fell to the floor, Voldemort actually seemed startled and he took a step backwards. Alyssa was on her knees now and her head was thrown backwards. A bright green light that lit up the entire room poured out of her as she let out another scream and clouded around her.

This seemed to be what everyone was waiting for; Voldemort stepped forward and grabbed her hands in his, the green light now enveloping him. They rose up, hovering awkwardly above the ground and everyone looked up at them completely speechless.

Alyssa shouted out, closed her eyes and gripped onto his hands. There was a loud crackling sound and in a burst of green light Voldemort disappeared.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Lucius shouted stupidly. No one answered and Alyssa fell back to the ground, gasping for air. She looked around; Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. She stood up; her chest felt like it was on fire. But he was not the only one missing. Alyssa looked around again to see that Draco had also somehow vanished.

"What the hell is going on?" She whispered aloud. Suddenly she was tackled heavily to the ground and several jets of light passed above her.

She looked up at red hair, "RON!" Ron was lying on top of her, she'd never been so happy to see anyone in her life. She grasped onto his shoulders.

"You better take this!" He shouted and handed over her wand. Alyssa grabbed it and he helped her up. She looked around the room, it seemed like an entire army had flooded in the room and everyone around her was fighting. She could see Harry, Brad, Remus, Hermione, Neville, a bunch of people with red hair who must've been the Weasley's, more people she couldn't recognize and… Draco. Draco was fighting alongside with them.

On the other side of the room, fighting had also broken out. Snape was surrounded by Death Eaters, but didn't even break a sweat as he took them all on his own. He moved with speed and ease, flicking his wand here and there – he fought beautifully.

_This was planned_; she thought feeling a wave of stupidity. People kept planning things all around it seemed, and she just kept feeling stupider and stupider. With dread she felt her chest throb again. Ron who was looking at her frowned heavily and his face paled.

"What's wrong?" He asked weakly.

"Ron, get away from me." She warned trying to back away. She didn't know it but Ron watched as it happened; her eyes had glazed over and became jet black. He tried reaching towards her before she pushed him back and another surge of pain hit her. The ground started to rumble again and the fighting seemed to slow down as they realized what was going on.

Alyssa's heart sped up as she panicked. The chandeliers shook above them and suddenly two of them crashed to the floor. The stone ground cracked open beneath her, and she rose above it, hovering in midair. She felt a haze pass over her and she wasn't aware of what was happening - something else was in control… a smirk even rose to her face.

Brad watched from below and shouted at Harry as he dodged a curse, "It's Voldemort! She's possessed," Harry nodded and ran forward, dodging another chandelier as he went. "_Protego!_" Brad shouted as a curse came at him; a Death Eater attacked him from behind and grabbed his arms. Brad wrestled one arm free and elbowed his attacker in the face and as he stumbled backwards he shouted "_Stupefy!_" And as someone else tried to attack him, Brad flicked his wand and the Death Eater fell to the floor screaming and clutching his chest.

Alyssa, meanwhile, seemed to have achieved full strength. She was completely still and barely used her hands as she tore apart the entire ballroom. An orb of white light formed in midair and she looked towards the corner of the room sending the orb flying in that direction. It exploded once it hit the floor sending shards of stone and dust flying everywhere. Someone from below tried cursing her but the jet of red light bounced right off her as if she were holding an imaginary shield. It was sent back towards him and he screamed painfully as it hit him square in the chest.

She raised her hands and every glass window in the room shattered, glass flew everywhere.

"_Accio!_" Harry shouted, and a large chair came flying towards him. He ran onto it as it went by and jumped off reaching for Alyssa. His arms wound around her waist and they both fell to the ground.

"Harry – no!" She shouted and raised both palms to his chest. He grabbed her wrists and slammed them to the ground above her shoulders.

"You've got to control it!" He shouted at her. He pressed himself against her as a jet of green light passed over him.

Braid raised his wand, "_Finite __Incantatem!_" He shouted at her. The curse hit her and a green light surfaced over her. The spell wouldn't end the ritual but it would weaken it. Harry watched as Alyssa struggled beneath him.

She looked up at him and smiled, "The Boy Who Lived." She said smiling. He furrowed his brows and looked over his shoulder as someone shouted "_Reducto!_" He could only see blood but didn't know what happened. He looked back at Alyssa who was writhing so hard that the ground beneath them was breaking apart and Harry held on as strongly as he could. He forced her hands back and jets of light shot out of them and into three people dressed in black. They flew silently and hit the wall with a thud – they were dead.

"Alyssa," Harry said, his voice shaking with effort, "You can't let him win, you have to fight this – I know you can."

"Harry…" She whispered and tears leaked out of her eyes before she shouted out in pain. One of her hands broke free and white light hit Harry in the chest knocking him backwards. Alyssa moved to get up but he didn't go down that easily; he grabbed her ankle and yanked hard and she fell onto her back. Harry climbed on top of her again and grasped her face in his hands.

"You can kill me if you want," He said quietly as her hands shook on his chest. "I'm not leaving without you; I came here to save you." Alyssa stared into his green eyes, the ones she'd seen in her dreams, the ones she knew belonged to her savior. She moaned in pain again as she tried fighting it and a green light erupted through her, over Harry's shoulder and blasted through the ceiling. The remains fell down from above and would land on the two of them if they didn't move.

"Harry!" She shouted before flicking her hand and sending him yards away from her. She had barely moved her arms to cover her head as the rubble fell on top of her. She felt her ribs crack from a large chunk and coughed up dust trying to breathe. Voldemort appeared standing above her, staring violently at Harry who stood up – wand at the ready.

"Foolish boy," He hissed and stepped over Alyssa's body, wand raised. Someone grabbed her arm and she whimpered as Draco stood her up.

"Are you okay?" He shouted over the noise in the room. He had taken off his robes, and the blood from his arm was all over him and his clothes.

"What have you done?" She asked her voice cracking. He seemed confused by the question and looked away from her as someone shouted "_Sectumsempra!_" A red light came twirling towards Draco and she quickly shoved him out of the way. She fell backwards and screamed in pain as she was hit in the shoulder, blood poured out immediately as if she was slashed with an invisible sword.

She looked up at Draco as a Death Eater ran at him, wand forgotten. Draco ducked and flipped the attacker over his back. He pulled out his wand and twirled it sending a jet of silver light towards a Death Eater who fell heavily to the ground and lay motionless.

"HARRY!" Someone shouted suddenly. Alyssa looked over her shoulder but couldn't see where he was through all the dust. She stood up painfully, holding her ribs and slacking from her shoulder. About five curses at once were sent her direction and she weakly raised her palm. The curses hit that same invisible shield and reflected back towards their attackers.

Alyssa's attention was brought across the room as someone shouted "YES!" and she shoved her way through. She nearly threw up at the sight, a decapitated body lay still on the floor, and Harry stood above it, breathing heavily and holding onto a silver sword with red crystal cabochons that was now smeared with blood. The fighting seemed to slow down and Alyssa looked around. Just in time she looked to the back of the room – her father was trying make an escape through the single wooden door.

Putting all pain aside, Alyssa grabbed her wand and sprinted after him. Her ribs felt like they were clicking against each other, and the bleeding in her arm didn't stop. She shouted "_Reducto!_" and the door exploded. She ran through it and ran to the Grand Staircase. It seemed Brian wasn't the only one who was trying to escape because as she ran through the halls, more people were fighting.

She slowed her pace, wincing as her ribs throbbed. She watched as he sprinted up the staircase and cursed aloud as she followed. Her injured arm was wrapped around her stomach while the other held tightly onto her wand as she ran up the stairs as fast as she could. She followed him down a hallway and blinked as he disappeared through one of the doorways. She slowed her pace to a walk now and kicked open the first three doors she saw. Further down the hallway she saw a light that leaked into it through the crack underneath a door. The knob twisted but wouldn't budge and she tried kicking it down but it wouldn't budge. Alyssa flicked her hand and the door exploded from its hinges and crashed into the room. Brian was standing on the opposite side of the room and had thrown Floo Powder into the fire place; the flames were now a bright green color.

He raised his wand but she shouted "_Expelliarmus!_"

He looked her over, seeing as she struggled to even stand. "I should've known you'd try to escape, that's all you do – run away." Alyssa said softly. "You're nothing but a coward."

Brian sighed and his shoulders slumped, "What are you going to do, Alyssa? Kill me?"

"No; I'm not like you." She hissed in return.

"You might as well leave, then; you and I both know you wouldn't curse your own father."

A tear slid down her cheek and she shook her head. "I won't let you hurt me or my family anymore." She whispered. He opened his mouth to say something and with a flick of her wand she shouted "_Stupefy!_" He fell to the floor with a thud; he was unconscious.

The door crashed opened and Alyssa raised her wand to the intruder to see a short woman raising her hands in defeat.

"You can lower your wand, Alyssa." She said, "I'm Ron's mother, Molly Weasley." Alyssa relaxed and lowered her wand yet still held onto it tightly in her hand. "I can take it from here." Mrs. Weasley said as she conjured up a stretcher and bindings wound themselves around Brian's wrists and ankles.

Alyssa left the room without a word. Her breaths were coming in through wheezes now. She couldn't remember a time she felt more pain; her chest was still throbbing, there was too much blood on her arm to tell if it was fresh or not, and her ribs were clicking sharply underneath her skin. She jogged back down the stairs and to the ballroom and she could hear that the fighting was still going on.

"_Expelliarmus!_" someone shouted and her wand flew out of her hand. It was too dark to see where it went so she forgot about it completely. She created an orb of light instantly, lighting up the room and seeing her attacker by the Grand Staircase. He was the short man that'd been making sure she didn't try to escape while she was locked in her room. A surge of anger passed through her like never before. She pictured in her mind what she wanted to happen to him and flicked her hand. He was thrown sideways, back and forth, slamming into each wall that surrounded them. She threw her hand upwards and he crashed into the ceiling before free falling back to the ground.

She continued on to the ballroom without a second glance and was no longer interrupted. She pulled out her wand and stepped through the broken doorway. Her eyes sought out Brad; his lip was bleeding but that was all that seemed to be wrong. Her eyes moved around to land on Hermione who was fighting side by side with Ron. Draco was further in the room. He had just punched someone in the face and threw them to the ground before cursing someone else over his shoulder.

Suddenly the air was knocked out of her as she was thrown into the wall beside the door. Lucius Malfoy's grey eyes glinted angrily as he stared down his nose at her. Her eyes left him as she looked at Draco one more time, he stopped fighting at once and looked back at her at the same moment and their eyes met. His eyes for once revealed what he was really feeling; they were filled with pain and fright. She blinked, now feeling an unfamiliar pressure in her abdomen.

Alyssa looked down to see Lucius' hand clenched around the grip of a dagger; the entire blade was now fully inside of her abdomen. Her mouth opened and a silent breath escaped.

"That's the last time you'll cause anymore destruction." He said, acid dripping from his voice. He twisted the dagger and she screamed out; he smirked at her before sharply pulling out the blade. Alyssa slid slowly down the wall, in too much shock to comprehend what had just happened, and fell heavily onto her back.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Someone shouted, and a bright green light blurred her vision. She thought for a second maybe she was the victim and that she was dead… but then she could see Harry's face.

"Harry," She whispered.

"Don't speak," He said. She could feel his hands touch her, one holding her face while the other was on the side of her stomach. "Oh god…" He murmured lightly. He ripped part of his sleeve and bunched it up and pressed it heavily onto her stomach, trying to slow the bleeding.

"What about… Voldemort?"

"He's… he's dead. I-I killed him." He said weakly, he looked up to her face and forced a smile. The image of the decapitated body entered her mind and she closed her eyes knowing she could rest now. "No, no – Alyssa, stay with me." Harry said urgently. Alyssa's eyes opened and Harry smiled, "Good, just stay awake – you'll be fine."

Suddenly Draco was at Harry's side. His hands were shaking as he reached out to touch her but he pulled back before he did.

"How bad is it?" He asked Harry.

Harry shook his head, "We've got to get her to the hospital. She's lost a lot of blood." Alyssa's eyes closed again and she sighed. "Alyssa!" Harry shouted, shaking her shoulder. "Alyssa, you've got to stay awake, please." He pleaded desperately. The bleeding was becoming overwhelming and he ripped his other sleeve to use that as well. Draco took off his button up leaving only his undershirt and put it over Harry's blood soaked sleeves.

"Thanks," Harry muttered as he applied pressure. Draco shook his head and clenched his fists together trying to get his hands to stop shaking.

"Where's her brother?" Harry asked him. "Stop looking, you'll make yourself sick."

Draco looked away from the dead body that was about five feet away from them and shrugged. "He went with Lupin through the rest of the Manor. Weasley's mum left with them, too."

"_Sectumsempra!_" Someone shouted. With a grunt, Draco was hit on the shoulder and blood started dripping down his bare arm. Harry turned around in an instant and yelled "_Crucio!_" Draco looked up at him, completely taken aback and Harry shook his head forgetting about his target and turning his attention to Alyssa.

"Harry!" Ron called from across the room. Harry turned his head to look at him as he dodged a curse. "You have to get her out of here; we'll take it from here!" Harry nodded and turned back to look at Alyssa; she was getting paler by the second.

Draco whispered her name softly but her vision was blurring now and she could barely see him. Harry pulled her into his arms, one arm under her back while the other supported her legs. She moaned in pain as he stood up.

"How will you get her out of here?" Draco asked quietly as he stood up as well.

"I'd apparate but I can't risk her getting splinched. I'll have to signal for the Knight Bus, that's the only safe way." Harry said. Draco seemed hesitant in Alyssa leaving his sight but Harry spoke up, "I have to leave now, Draco." Saying his name got his attention and he stood back nodding.

Harry adjusted her in his arms before walking out of the room. He glanced at her face, "Good, just stay awake." He murmured as he looked into her blank eyes. He stepped outside and cursed whoever controlled the weather; it poured onto them, soaking through their clothes as soon as they left the clearing of the roof. He walked down the driveway of Malfoy Manor to the gate that had been opened. Standing outside of the gate Harry signaled for the Bus with his wand. With a _crack_ it appeared almost instantly. The doors opened and Harry stepped onto the bus in a rush startling the driver, Ernie.

"I need to get to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries – immediately!" Harry ordered. Without question Ernie nodded his head and the bus took off. Harry was jerked through the bus and Alyssa moaned.

"I'm sorry," He murmured. He sat down on one of the beds and wrapped a blanket around her. "We're almost there, Alyssa. You'll be okay." The bus rocked them backward and forward and he held her tightly in his arms. He looked at his watch impatiently; they needed to get to the hospital now or else she could… no, he wouldn't think of that. She _would_ be okay. She'd just get patched up, maybe spend a few days in the hospital and then before he knew it she'd be back at Hogwarts.

"Harry…" She whispered into his chest.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you are with me." She said drearily. Harry smiled and his chest rumbled against the side of her face as he chuckled softly. He ran his hands up and down her arms as they waited for the arrival. For the first time in days Alyssa felt truly safe as she was held in Harry's arms and she clenched tightly onto his shirt… shivering, and wanting nothing to do but rest… she rested her eyes, and she knew nothing more…

* * *

**A/N:** its outttttt, tell me what you think, hope you liked it!

reviews pleasee... only a few chapters left


	22. Chapter 22

Harry paced the floor of the waiting room for what felt like hours. He didn't see what waiting rooms were for, really. If Healers expected you to calm down in there they were dead wrong. Everything was white; the walls, the tiled floor, the chairs, the ceiling – everything. The only things that weren't white were the glass doors that swung opened and closed and the tiny coffee table in the middle of the room. Every minute that went by Harry felt like the walls were closing in on him, like he was suffocating. His heart raced every time he checked his watch to see that only seconds had passed.

He sat down on one of the chairs; surprisingly he was the only one in there. He had assumed the waiting room might've been filled with other people waiting to hear news from Healers, but from the moment he had arrived to now he was the only person there. He stood up again and began pacing. He ran his hands over his shirt; her blood was covering the majority of his shirt and was now drying up.

Footsteps could be heard rushing down the hallway. Harry had been hearing footsteps all night so instead of getting his hopes up he sat back down and ran his hands through his hair. His head snapped up, however, when the doors swung open. Harry's head snapped up to see Alyssa's brother, Brad. His entire body was shaking and he was so pale that Harry thought he might faint.

"How is she? What happened? Did the doctor say anything? Where is she, is she okay?" Brad asked in a rush staring down at Harry.

He stood up and took off his glasses and began rubbing his eyes while shaking his head. "No, I haven't heard anything yet…"

"How long have you been here?"

Harry put his glasses back on and looked at his watch. "Eighty-seven minutes exactly." He said. Brad sighed and tears began to well in his eyes; Harry looked at him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be fine, Brad. The Healers will have her up and running in no time."

"I wish I was so sure…" He said forcing a smile. "What happened over there? When I saw her she was… I mean… I come back and they tell me… did he really do that? What happened?"

Harry steered Brad to the nearest chair and they sat down together. "When she came back – it happened so fast…" He tried to find the right words to explain and figured he'd settle for the blunt way. "She came back and she'd barely made it through the door when Lucius attacked her… I got to her as soon as I could -" He was cut off as Brad whimpered and turned away slouching down and holding his face in his hands. His shoulders started to tremble and Harry wasn't sure of what to do. He stared at his hands; they were also covered in her dry blood. They started to shake as he looked at them and he tucked them away in his pockets. If only someone could come in and say that she was okay, that she was awake. She had been so pale…

There were more sets of footsteps that could be heard through the doorway and Harry looked up in time to see Ron, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley walk through the doors.

"Harry, dear, are you all right?" Mrs. Weasley said at once. She rushed forward and threw her arms around him. When she pulled back she looked at his shirt and shook her head. "You must get that thing off you; give him your shirt, Ronald." She said turning to Ron. He shrugged off his sweater and more than willingly handed it to Harry giving him a sympathetic look as well. Harry removed his glasses and changed shirts, but held on to the blood soaked one in his fist.

Hermione looked at Brad who hadn't even looked up, his face still in his hands. She got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around him and looked as if she was whispering some words of comfort to him.

Ron looked at Harry, "Malfoy's still at the Manor. He had to sort some things out with the Aurors." He ran a hand through his hair, "I never thought he'd do anything like it…"

"Neither did he, I think." Harry replied.

The doors swung opened and Mr. Weasley, Ginny and Blaise strode in. Ginny was in a fit of tears, looking as if she'd just been roughly awaken.

"What's happened?" She demanded, "Is she okay?"

"The Healers haven't said anything…" Harry said. He sat back down and leaned back in his seat.

"I can't even believe this," Ginny said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. "All year and no one told me a _thing_? She's my best friend!" She exclaimed. Blaise wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder but she didn't look ready to back down.

"We couldn't tell you," Ron said, "There was too much of a chance that she'd find out through you… and if Alyssa knew then You-Know-Who would've found out right away – the whole thing would've been ruined."

"And is it true? About Lucius?" She asked. Harry nodded his head weakly. "Where is he, I'm going to _kill_ him." She pulled out her wand as if to add emphasis.

"He's dead, Ginny." Harry said quietly.

"What?" She asked quietly, a disappointed expression on her face. "Who killed him?"

Harry opened his mouth but shut it as Draco quietly walked in. The door didn't make a noise as it swung opened and shut behind him. He hadn't put on a clean shirt over his undershirt so he only had a cloak thrown over it. He looked as pale as a ghost and like he'd been sick for days. He looked slightly surprised at everyone who had shown up before him and he became uneasy as the people silenced and stared at him. More tears fell down Ginny's face as he walked further into the room.

His eyes met Harry's, "Have you heard anything?" He asked quietly; Harry shook his head. Draco nodded and moved to the back of the room, ignoring everyone's questioning glances. Ginny moved to walk after him before Blaise held her back and whispered something in her ear. She nodded at his words and he followed Draco instead. There was nothing but silence as Blaise reached him and said things that were completely inaudible. Draco shook his head and Blaise patted his back comfortingly.

Ginny walked over to Harry and whispered to him so as not to be heard. "If this whole thing was… was planned, well, that means he's been lying to her all year doesn't it?"

Harry looked skeptical of the way she put it. "Technically, yes. But -"

"But she loves him!" She hissed. Harry choked on his inhaled breath and coughed heavily, tears stinging his eyes. She apologized and continued, "She hasn't told me… but you can just _tell_ with the two of them, ask Blaise – he'll tell you. If she knows everything's been a lie… well..." She finished not knowing what to say. She wiped her face and sat down on the opposite side of the room.

The doors swung opened again revealing Remus. He looked perfectly fine except for the worried and stressed expression that was on his face. With everyone sitting there waiting, looking as anxious as he felt, he knew the Healers hadn't said anything so he didn't bother asking. He went to Brad's side instantly, who hadn't looked up since speaking with Harry, and sat down next to him. He spoke silently into Brad's ear who sniffed loudly before shaking his head.

He looked up at Harry who was watching the pair intently. "Why don't you go for a walk or something, get some fresh air…" He suggested weakly. "I'm sure it'll be a while before we find anything out."

Harry shook his head and sat down. "I'm not going anywhere." He said with a tone of finality in his voice.

Mrs. Weasley spoke up, "No, no, I think it'd be a good idea to get some air." She looked at Draco who was silently leaning against the wall next to Blaise. "Mal… Draco… why don't you take a walk? You look like you -"

"I'm not going." He said softly and Mrs. Weasley backed down with out any sort of protest. She sighed and her shoulders slumped, "Well I'm going to see what they have to eat in this place – Ginny, Ron – why don't you come with me?" They both tried protesting but the glare she gave in return kept their mouths shut. They slumped out through the doors following Mrs. Weasley, tailed by Mr. Weasley and Hermione. The room was silent now. Blaise shifted uncomfortably. Everyone in the room was incredibly close to Alyssa and he felt like a stranger now, somehow. He suddenly felt like he hadn't bonded with her enough, like he hadn't gotten to _really _know her like the others in the room had. And now he might not have another… no, he wouldn't think like that.

"Alyssa will be fine." He said aloud, not sure if he was reassuring himself or the others. Harry stood up and began pacing again, Brad was slumped heavily in his seat next to Remus looking like he was about to faint, and Draco completely zoned out as he stood there – still as a statue. Blaise sighed and took a seat on the opposite side of Brad.

"What was she like when you brought her here?" Draco asked Harry quietly.

Harry paused, taken aback by the question. "She passed out on the way over." He answered, and instead of going back to pacing he stood staring at the floor in the middle of the room. Draco didn't nod, didn't make any sort of gesture that he even took in what Harry had said.

The doors swung opened and none of them looked up, expecting to see one of the Weasley's or someone of the sort.

"Er… Mr. Potter?" All five of them stood up in an instant, realizing a Healer just entered the room. The man was a tall, pale, and broad older man. He had dark brown hair and wore thick framed spectacles. He was wearing lime green robes with an embroidered symbol of a crossed bone and wand. He was holding up a chart and seemed taken aback at the other people's presence. "Are you all here for Ms. Bennington?" Everyone nodded and stayed silent as they waited.

"Is she all right?" Remus asked lightly.

The Healer furrowed his brows and glanced nervously at his chart before looking up again. "Well, first things first, my name is Jake Connolly. And I'm afraid I have some bad news about Alyssa."

The tension was heavy in the air as they listened to Connolly speak. "I'd like to ask you to follow me to a different room… so we have more privacy." His eyes wandered around the room before he turned around and walked through the doors. Everyone looked at each other before taking a few steps forward.

"I'll stay here," Blaise said, "In case they come back, I mean. I'll be here to tell them." The rest nodded and followed Connolly out of the room, they made a quick right to what seemed to be a regular patient's room but no one was inside it. Connolly shut the door behind them and motioned for them to take a seat; they all stayed standing.

He paused as he looked through his chart again, flipping through the different pages that were clipped on. "Other than some contusions and lacerations -"

"English, please." Harry suggested quickly, urging him to continue.

Connolly nodded making another pause before going on, "First off, Alyssa has suffered through many damages. She's broken three ribs; she has some severe head trauma," Draco shifted uncomfortably, "A deep gash in her shoulder, not to mention a stab wound in her abdomen which has also caused some tissue damage." He paused as he looked at everyone's reaction. No one said anything so he continued. "Now, these would all be things that would naturally be easy to heal; just a few charms and medicine and she would've been up in no time."

"But…" Harry said, leaning forward as he spoke.

"But her body has been on an unnatural amount of stress and it has completely shut itself down. Her magic has created a sort of…" He twisted his hands trying to find the right word, "A sort of _shield_ around her. So basically… any sort of treatment we've tried doing has had no effect whatsoever; her body completely rejects it. And if it were just the broken ribs I'd say it wouldn't be that much of a problem, and we have already sustained the bleeding in her shoulder. But because of this… shield, we haven't been able to heal the stab wound and she's still bleeding."

There was a moment of heavy silence before, "So you're saying that she'll bleed to death..." Harry said darkly through gritted teeth. He ran a shaking hand over his face and turned away. Draco didn't say a word but his skin turned an even paler shade.

Brad, however, was completely outraged. "Can't you _do_ something? You can't just let her _die_,"

"Thankfully we know of a Healer who's Muggleborn. He'll be able to incorporate some of their surgical methods."

Harry turned back around, "You mean like stitches?" Connolly nodded. "I feel another 'but' coming on." Harry said sarcastically.

"It just so happens that the Healer is in Scotland at the moment; we've sent a Patronus and we've received word that he'll be arriving in…" He looked at his watch, "Forty-five minutes."

"So once we get this stitch thing done," Brad said, obviously confused at not knowing of these Muggle methods. "She'll be okay?"

Connolly shifted uncomfortably, causing Harry to scoff and turn back around. "It just so happens that without magic we have no other way to revive her. Even with sustained injuries, because of the way her body is now… we can't say when she'll wake up."

"What?" Remus asked bewildered. "How can that be?"

"There's a barrier that any sort of magic can't pass through; I guess in way, due to what she's been through, it's to protect her. But because of it we won't be able to use any magic to get her out of this comatose state… she could be unconscious for days, possibly weeks." There was a moment of silence where Remus seemed to have had enough and walked out.

"Can we see her?" Draco asked quietly. Brad looked over at him; completely taken aback that Draco had asked that question.

Connolly nodded and for the first time during their ordeal he dropped his clipboard to hang at his side. "Follow me," He said simply before maneuvering around them to get to the door. Harry looked gratefully at Draco before following the Healer. They walked a bit down the hallway before going down a wooden flight of stairs and continuing down that hallway. The floors, walls and ceiling were all white save for the wooden benches that were placed in front of several of the patient's rooms. They walked past seven doors before stopping in front of one.

"Although visiting hours have been over it's all right for you to stay, but _only_ until the Healer arrives." He waited for everyone to nod and twisted the knob of the door. They walked into the room quietly. Much like the rest of the hospital, most of the room was white except for the pale yellow curtain that was concealing the bed. There were two white chairs that were pushed up against the wall but no one took a seat and on the side they were standing was a long white table that was covered with papers, and various vials of potions. Connolly rushed forward at once to pull back the curtain so they could see her.

Alyssa was lying in the bed looking as if she was sleeping peacefully; but as they inched closer that mood seemed to slip away instantly. She was looking paler than ever and her hair was splayed wildly over the pillow. Bruises that weren't even present before seemed to show over her face, most prominently on her cheek which was swollen to about twice its normal size; the cut on it had healed. Her comforter was draped over her waist revealing the gown the hospital had put her in. It was pulled over her shoulders so her entire neck and her patched up shoulder was revealed. Her arms were at her sides, bruises cascading down the length of them. Charts were hanging above the head of her bed, and an invisible quill seemed to be continually scribbling away of her status.

"What's wrong with her hands?" Harry asked; they were both wrapped in gauze.

"The palms of her hands were covered in burns; as if she'd been holding them over a fire." Connolly answered. Brad stepped forward and collapsed to his knees at the side of her bed and grasped her hand in his, fighting back more tears. Harry stepped forward as well, standing by her shoulder and taking the sight in. Draco was unable to move; he wasn't even sure if he was breathing. His fists were clenched at his sides preventing his hands from shaking and he suddenly felt like he was about to faint. Alyssa looked practically dead in the bed; the only sign that she was alive was her chest that rose and fell heavily every few seconds… and it was all because of him. It was his fault. Draco let out a choked breath and Harry looked over his shoulder suddenly panicking; he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle Draco Malfoy crying.

"This wasn't your fault." Harry said sternly.

Draco didn't reply nor did he listen to what Harry had said. How could it not be his fault? He was supposed to protect her and he didn't, he had _promised_ to protect her and instead Alyssa had nearly died that night.

The door knocked and Connolly stuck his head in, "The Healer has just arrived," He said quickly. Brad jumped to his feet excitedly as he continued, "I apologize but you'll have to continue waiting upstairs."

Harry nodded and walked towards the door, he patted Draco on the shoulder who still hadn't looked away from the bed. "C'mon, we'll be back once it's over." He said. Draco nodded and finally looked away and they left the room.

Once they got back to the waiting room, everyone had gotten back from getting food or taking a walk. They were sitting in anticipation as if waiting for them to get back and everyone except for Remus stood up straight away.

"How is she?" Ginny asked.

"Did Lupin explain everything to you?" said Harry.

Ginny nodded, "Yes, but how does she _look_?"

Harry's shoulders slumped and he figured he might as well be honest and not try to brighten things up. "She doesn't look so good… but the Healer's just arrived which means she should be all right."

"But she's in a coma, isn't she?" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yeah, but now she won't bleed to death." He said mercilessly. The people listening winced and Harry took a seat down. Draco didn't say anything and instead turned back the way he came and left the room.

"Is he going to be all right?" Hermione asked surprisingly; no one answered and she fidgeted nervously before following his direction and leaving the room. She jogged down the hallway trying to catch up with his long strides before shouting his name. He kept walking until she finally got to his side and stopped him by placing her hand on his arm.

"What do you want?" He said; she winced and not because of it being harsh. His voice was unnaturally light as if he didn't even have enough strength to even speak.

"This isn't your fault." Draco looked at her for a moment before trying to continue to walk but she got a hold on his arm to make him stop. "I'm serious; I know how you're feeling right -"

"No you don't." He said suddenly, surprising her. "You've never betrayed someone so badly, someone you…" He stopped himself and shook his head. "You don't know what it's like… to be playing both sides. Where on one hand you pull someone in when you've never been so close to another person your whole life, and then on the other act like you're doing it on purpose just to get their trust."

Hermione's mouth snapped shut, completely surprised that he'd decided to confide in her and at the same time tell her off. "This was all just supposed to be some sort of a job so that we could end this war. It wasn't _supposed_ to be anything else; I wasn't supposed to start -" He cut himself off, realizing he was saying too much. He ran a shaking hand through his hair and sighed heavily.

"You weren't supposed to start caring for her, you mean." Hermione said. Draco didn't answer but she knew she had hit the spot. "You've got to believe that this isn't your fault, Draco."

"It is; I was the one who put her in the Manor, I was the one who helped them plan that ritual – I was the one who _performed_ it."

"But you had to, you had no choice or they would've killed you." Hermione protested.

"I should have died for her," He said, his voice cracking. Hermione was silent now, not knowing how to respond to that and she finally decided to back down. He had made up his mind, and the only thing – the only person who could change it was Alyssa. And she would be unconscious for who knew how long. Draco looked at her, as if waiting for her to say anything else, and when she said nothing he continued on down the hallway. Hermione watched him go until he turned a corner and was out of sight. She sighed and slowly walked back to the waiting room. It was silent and only Ron looked up when she arrived. He patted the seat next to her and offered a smile.

"Has he completely lost it?" Ron asked as she sat down.

Hermione shrugged, "He's really upset; he didn't know things would end up this way."

"I don't think anyone did." He replied, his eyes falling on Brad.

"Don't you feel a bit responsible for it?" When Ron looked confused she continued, "For Draco, I mean. When he came to the Order and we found out he had to get close to her, we encouraged it. We used him… we used the both of them."

Ron shifted uncomfortably, "Well… if you look at it that way. But look at the bright side, Hermione; Voldemort's dead now and -"

"But at what price? Alyssa might not wake up, and if she doesn't…" She cast a nervous glance at the people around them. "We still have the rest of the war to fight." Ron sighed and wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Does anyone know what time it is?" Ginny asked.

Harry looked at his watch, "It's a bit past one in the morning. Maybe some of you should leave and get some rest… it'll be a long night."

"I don't want to." Ginny said stubbornly.

Mr. Weasley stood up shaking his head, "No, no, I think that's a good idea." He looked over at Blaise who was sitting next to Ginny. "Blaise, could you make sure she gets back to Hogwarts safely?" He nodded. "Harry, I'd suggest -"

"I'm not leaving." Harry said crossing his arms over his chest. Mr. Weasley nodded his head understandingly before waving his hand at Ron and Hermione.

"Now, what about Draco?" He asked.

"I don't know where he is, but I think it's safe to assume he's staying." Hermione said as she put on her cloak. They all exchanged hugs and said goodnight before heading out of the door.

"Where did Draco go, anyway?" Brad asked. Harry shrugged and checked his watch again. "I hope the surgery doesn't take too long." He added nervously. He wrung his hands together and Remus patted him on the back sympathetically. Suddenly the door burst opened again and they all looked up startled at the woman who had arrived. Brad and Remus stood up at once as the woman glanced around the room and her eyes landed on them.

"Mom," Brad choked out. He seemed unsure of what to do but decided on walking forward and hugging her. Harry remained in his seat looking her over. Comparing Alyssa to her mom was a difficult task; the only thing they shared was the short height and tanned skin, which Harry would later find out, was because of her mom's mixed heritage. Other than that, Brad had most of her features.

Remus, Harry observed, did not step forward for a greeting. Instead Alyssa's mom said, "Remus," and he nodded his head in return. "How is she?" She asked seriously, if it were up to Harry to decide he would've thought she wasn't upset at all. He didn't stay to hear the rest of the conversation and instead stood up and made for the door.

"Harry Potter?" She asked suddenly. Harry turned around to face her and stiffly nodded his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She said holding out her hand. He took it and shook it evenly before nodding his head and continuing out the door. He wasn't sure of where he was going, but he could be in that room no longer; it was becoming too stifling to handle. Plus he figured there was going to be some sort of awkward family exchange that he didn't want to be present for. He silently decided to go outside for some fresh air; it was past midnight so there would hardly be any Muggles present to be seen. He took the elevator to the ground floor before leaving through the entrance. It was dark and quiet outside, and the air was chilly. The streets in front of the disguised hospital were completely empty and there wasn't a soul out there except for one person.

Harry decided to accompany Draco and sat next to him on the sidewalk. Draco made no sign to acknowledge his presence as he sat staring at the starry sky.

"You know…"

"If you are going to say," Draco interrupted, "That this isn't my fault, please don't."

Harry shook his head. He had already decided he wouldn't try to convince him of that; Draco had already made up his mind. "No, I was going to say that I just met Alyssa's mom."

Draco's head dropped from the sky to instead look at the floor. "She just got here?" Harry nodded. "What is she like?"

Harry shrugged, "Not sure. But she's not one for first impressions."

"What do you mean?"

"I already don't really like her that much; she seemed like it was an inconvenience to show up here in the middle of the night."

"Alyssa's her daughter,"

"I know," Harry said nodding along. "Well, I left her with Brad and Lupin so maybe they're having a confrontation. Lupin didn't seem so happy to see her."

"I wouldn't be either; I have a pretty good feeling she'll hate me anyway." Draco said. They sat in silence for a minute or to before Draco spoke up again. "Do you think she will hate me?"

Harry thought of the answer, knowing that they weren't talking about Alyssa's mom anymore. "If she hates you then we're all in big trouble; most of us knew about this."

"No," Draco said, "None of you did what I did; I deserve her hatred."

Harry put his hand on his shoulder unsure of what to say but suddenly feeling sorry for him. As weird as he felt thinking it, Draco didn't deserve to be hated by anyone. What he had done for the Order was one of the bravest things Harry could think of. Being a spy for both the good side and Dark was no easy task and it meant he had been risking his life all year. And even if for a bit Alyssa felt somewhat betrayed by him, once she was able to fully comprehend what had happened she would be able to understand.

"You don't, Malfoy." Harry finally said patting his shoulder. He took his glasses off and rubbed them with the hem of the sweater he was wearing.

"I hit her." Draco said softly. His fists clenched in his lap and Harry could see the muscles in his jaw flex. Harry's brows furrowed and the image of Alyssa lying in the bed surfaced in his mind; the bruised cheek was because of Draco. For some reason a surge of anger went through Harry's body, but it wasn't because Draco had done that to her. It was because Alyssa was lying unconscious in a hospital bed instead of living as happily as she had in the beginning of the year. The anger was increasing more and more until he had to stand up and walk it off; he paced back and forth over the sidewalk trying to get the image out of his mind. Draco decided to stand up as well and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Harry who was still pacing and a light smirk fell on his face.

"What?" Harry said irritably.

"You're in love with her, Potter." Draco said simply.

"I am not." Harry replied, but when that answer seemed to only entertain him he continued. "Look, I do love her… but I'm not _in_ love with her, all right? And me and her have already discussed what's going on between us."

"Between you?" Draco asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes." Harry snapped, seeing completely annoyed by where this conversation was taking them. "And there's nothing to worry about, she's all yours… she's _been_ yours. You would be able to see that if you just got over your own self pity."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means she's _in love_ with you." Harry said rolling his eyes. "I would've thought that was obvious." He waited for Draco to say something but he remained silent. His eyes seemed a bit wider than usual and it looked like he was completely thrown off. Harry nodded understandingly already able to tell that Draco wasn't accustomed to much loving. He checked his watch again for what seemed like the thousandth time that night and dropped his hand to his side. "Well, I'm going back inside. I have a feeling the surgery will be over soon."

Draco nodded although Harry wasn't sure if he was really listening to a word he had been saying. Harry nodded again and turned around to head back into the hospital. It took him a while to get back up to the waiting room only to find Brad and his mom having a heated argument. Remus was sitting down reading a copy of the _Prophet_ not seeming to care too much about the arguing pair.

"What's going on?" Harry asked quietly.

"She wants to leave." Remus replied as he turned a page. Harry furrowed his brows, confused. Why would she leave at a time like this? She scoffed loudly and left the room only to be followed by Brad. But it was easier to hear what they were saying as they stood outside the room because they'd let their voices rise.

"You can't just leave." Brad hissed.

"I've got to get back to work! It wasn't the easiest task to get here, Brad."

"Well I could only _hope_ that your daughter nearly _dying_ was a high enough priority to leave work," Brad said slowly, trying hard to keep his voice down.

"If it were up to me, I'd stay. But I can't do anything here at the moment so I might as well get back to work."

"What kind of excuse is that?"

"Look, I'll come back as soon as I can but… who are you?"

"What?" Draco asked. It seemed he'd decided to come back inside as she was leaving.

"Are you Lucius Malfoy's son? What the hell is he doing here?" She shouted.

"He's here for Alyssa… you know, your _daughter_."

"What? Absolutely not!" There was a sound of commotion and a momentary silence before there was a frustrated grunt.

"Mom! Put down your wand!" Harry stood up at the mention of a wand and walked through the doors to see Brad restraining his mom who had her hand half gripped around her wand. Draco stood back looking half confused, half startled.

"What's going on?" Harry asked seriously. Brad finally grabbed the wand out of her grasp and apologized to Draco who didn't say anything but shrugged.

"He's on our side, mom. If you had listened to a word I said in there you would've realized what happened tonight." His mom adjusted her cloak, glared at Draco and took off down the hallway. Brad apologized again and walked after her.

"What was that about?" Draco asked softly, following Harry back into the waiting room.

"No idea," Harry said shrugging. He sat down next to Remus who had finished reading the _Prophet_ and was now checking his watch. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 2:30," Remus replied with a yawn. "You think they'd be done by now." He suggested. The doors swung opened to reveal Brad. He was red in the face and ran a hand through his hair as he sat down.

"You think she'd forget about work, just this once." He said rolling his eyes.

"I remind you time and time again," Remus started, "To not waste time thinking of such impossibilities."

Brad nodded in agreement yet still continued. "But this isn't some sort of normal visit; Alyssa could've… could've – well, _you know_…" He trailed off and looked at his watch. "You think something has gone wrong?"

Harry shook his head at once, "It seemed like a simple enough surgery; it's just taking longer than we thought it would be."

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. It was so silent that the ticking clock that was hanging on the wall sounded like it was blaring in their ears. Only one other person had joined them in the waiting room; it was a complete stranger – someone else who must've known someone who went through a serious accident. They watched the stranger as she fidgeted in her seat. She happened to bring food with her and their stomachs growled in the silence as they watched her eat. The doors opened and none of them looked up to see who it was.

"_Ahem_," the person coughed. Brad, Harry, Remus and Draco all looked up to see Mr. Connolly standing in the doorway. He had a chart in his hand although they were unable to tell if it was the same on from before or not. He seemed more at ease than he was before and if that were really the case then it was a bit comforting to them.

They were all leaned forward in anticipation; it was driving them crazy.

"The surgery has just ended."


	23. Chapter 23

It was exactly seventeen days later when Alyssa woke up. The surgery had gone fine; they had stopped the bleeding. But there was still the barrier that kept the Healers from trying to revive her so they let time take its course. Her body needed to rejuvenate on its own. Her eyes slowly peeled open only to wince at the blinding sunlight that was flooding the room. The first thought that entered her mind was that her chest felt incredibly heavy and she could barely move. She fully opened her eyes and took a deep breath and winced again as her chest started to throb. Her throat was dry and she coughed as she took another breath and looked around the room she was in.

Her vision was blurry for a couple of seconds until she raised her head and blinked a few times. She was in some sort of hospital room, she decided; for there weren't any other rooms that could be that white.

The door opened as she tried to sit up and the woman who had walked through shook her head disapprovingly.

"You don't want to be doing that, Miss." And she was right; Alyssa gasped and moaned at the pain that went surging through her ribs. She dropped herself onto her back again and closed her eyes. "You've got three broken ribs that are still healing."

"What?" Alyssa's eyes popped opened suddenly paying very close attention to what she was saying.

"It's about time you've woken up," the woman said, ignoring Alyssa. She was bustling through many vials now that were on the table across the room. She waved her wand towards Alyssa's bed which began to rise until she was in a sitting position yet still leaning back slightly. "You'll have to take these straight away; we haven't been able to do a thing while you were unconscious."

She walked towards Alyssa with three different vials. "What are those for?" Alyssa asked eyeing the vials.

"For your ribs, mostly," She said uncorking them, "but also for your head and abdomen."

"Why haven't you been able to do anything?" Alyssa asked; she felt like the only speaking she'd done in the past few days were just asking questions.

"The Healers have been saying that your powers built some sort of barrier and that we couldn't touch you with any type of magic." She explained. "They were having a hard time trying to fix you up before you got those stitches. But in the meantime, you better take these or it'll be much longer for you to recover." She waved her hands around motioning to the vials and Alyssa took them without hesitation.

"Visiting hours are starting soon," She said looking at her watch, "I wouldn't be surprised if someone came to see you."

Alyssa ignored that bit of information. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Seventeen days, miss."

"S-seventeen _days_?" Alyssa asked dumbfounded, her jaw fell slightly opened. That was two and a half weeks. How much had she missed? What about school? She'd be screwed now, for sure.

She nodded in return before heading towards the door, "I'll bring you back some food, I expect you'd be starving."

Alyssa sat in the silent room; how the hell could she have been unconscious for seventeen days? She rested her eyes again running her mind through what happened that night. It quite literally felt like it was yesterday… but over two weeks had passed. Soon the nurse came in again accompanied by a hovering tray of food. Using her wand she directed it to Alyssa's bed where it hovered awkwardly above her lap. Alyssa eyed the food; she was still trying to register how long it had been since she was last conscious.

"You really should eat, Ms. Bennington. You need your strength."

Alyssa struggled to shove herself up the bed high enough to be able to eat properly. She ran a tired hand over her face only to feel something graze over it. She looked at both her hands to see that they were both wrapped up tightly in gauze. She didn't need to ask what it was from; it wasn't the first time her hands were damaged from her powers. She dismissed it and raised her fork to start eating the food in front of her. The nurse had been right; Alyssa was starving.

The hour until visitors started showing up had been dreadfully slow. Alyssa couldn't go back to sleep even if she wanted to. There had been too much running through her mind; like the fact that the Dark Lord himself was now dead. She could feel a mental weight being lifted from her shoulders at the mere thought of it. She put her fork down after finishing the meal and let her head fall back on the pillows.

Forgetting about how much she hated hospitals would be something that'd never happen. Alyssa had been there numerous times when she was a kid, mostly because of her dad. Between the period of time where he had become a Death Eater and when he had actually left the family, she had to deal with being a lab rat to him. Brad was too old by that time that he'd actually be able to defend himself so it had been Alyssa's job. Alyssa had to play it off like she was just playing too roughly with the other kids she knew; neither Brad nor her mom had found out Brian was a Death Eater when Alyssa had, and it had been quite some time before they would.

It would be putting it lightly to say it was a huge relief when her dad finally left. The only catch, of course, would be that they couldn't tell anyone where he was. He was obviously a wanted Death Eater but if they wanted their family to be safe and never hear from the Death Eaters they had to keep their mouths shut. That little deal had obviously ended this year.

Alyssa sighed and watched as the clock ticked by. The door knocked and she didn't say anything as the nurse walked in, but was surprised to see that the nurse was not alone.

"Brad," Alyssa said, she didn't have the strength to shout but the look on her face let him know that he was extremely welcomed.

"You're awake," He breathed. He rushed passed the nurse and came to her bedside where he tried his best to hug her without moving her around too much. "You had me worried." He cracked a smile but his voice shook as he spoke.

"I'm sorry," She replied. She tried to sit up more but winced and forced herself to stay still.

"Are you okay?" Brad asked immediately. He pulled up a chair to her bedside and sat down next to her, taking her hand in his.

"I'm fine, just a bit sore." She closed her eyes but tightened her lips to reassure him.

Brad nodded, "You got beat up real good. We thought they'd heal you in an instant but then they brought up this barrier nonsense… if they hadn't got you that Muggleborn Healer in time," He stopped himself and shook his head instead not wanting to even think of what he was going to say.

"Has it really been seventeen days?" She asked, still stuck in disbelief.

"Seventeen dreadful days… everyone's been crazy; the whole world is starting to change now with Voldemort gone. There've been loads of reporters trying to get in here. Y'know – get a word on how you're doing, details of that night. Everything has mostly been hushed up except for the deaths and all."

"Deaths? As in plural?" Alyssa's stomach filled with dread, hoping she was really the only person who got hurt. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something had happened to someone she knew. Brad opened his mouth to answer but turned around as the door opened again. This time Harry and Remus walked into the room and they both exclaimed in the surprise of seeing her awake. They asked – only to be expected – the same 'are you okay?' sort of questions that Brad did, and Alyssa figured she'd be answering those types of things for a long time.

Remus and Brad eventually left to take care of business back home in America, leaving Harry and Alyssa in the hospital room alone. To her it felt like a comfortable silence but he seemed troubled by something.

"Are you okay Harry?"

"I hardly think that I should be the one answering that question." Harry said scoffing.

"I'm okay, really." Alyssa urged. "I'm sore and everything… and I'm pretty tired, but other than that I'm fine."

Harry shifted in his seat and looked uncomfortable. "It's just… when I killed – well when I did it, I thought it'd be over. I didn't think anything else could happen… it was a foolish thought. The next thing I knew, I was holding you in my arms bringing you here and I couldn't help but think that you were – that you were…"

"That I was gonna die." Alyssa finished for him; Harry nodded.

"It was just something that I never imagined happening. That's not something I want to think of ever again."

Alyssa nodded, completely agreeing. "I thought that, too. Earlier that day was the first time I realized that it was a possibility and after Lucius, I heard the curse and saw the green light… I thought I was dead."

"You heard the curse?" Harry asked, a frown forming on his face.

She nodded again. "I was barely aware of what was going on. The last thing I really remember clearly was stunning my dad and letting Mrs. Weasley take care of the rest."

"You stunned your dad?"

"Yep," Alyssa quirked her lips, "Now he can stay in Azkaban where he belongs, along with Lucius and the rest of those stupid Death Eaters."

"About Lucius…" Harry said suddenly. Alyssa looked over curiously. "He's dead."

"Lucius is dead?" Alyssa asked, shock registered on her face. "How did he -" But she cut herself off before finishing the question, realization setting in. The killing curse was aimed for Lucius… but who…

"Draco killed him." Harry added quietly, answering her question.

"Whaaat?" Alyssa sputtered, completely dumbfounded now.

Harry nodded and spoke slowly, "He watched as Lucius attacked you, as he stabbed you… almost immediately he shouted the curse. None of us were expecting something like that from him. It shocked us all."

Alyssa squeezed her eyes shut. Draco had killed his own father. "Oh my God," She said loudly. She didn't know if she should think of this as a good thing or not. On one hand, an evil Death Eater was now dead and would no longer be hurting anyone (more specifically, Draco), but on the other she knew Draco would be affected badly by this. From how she learned the way his mind worked, it seemed that he'd soon think of himself as a murderer and that he really had ended up like his father. Alyssa paused at the thought; how could she still possibly think that she had an idea of how Draco's mind worked? The way he was acting this year, everything he'd told her was all for show and what she thought she knew was really a lie. Who knew what was going through Draco's mind now?

Harry stayed with Alyssa for another hour or so before he too had to leave. Visiting hours ended later as well, so she knew there'd be no one else to see save for her annoying nurse. She had been extremely happy that day to see Harry, Brad and Remus. But somewhere deep down she was strictly wishing to see a certain someone.

Two days later Alyssa woke up in the middle of the afternoon after only a few hours of sleep. The only way she had fallen asleep earlier was from dreamless sleep potion, but even that didn't last long on her. She sat up in her bed, wincing slightly, but it was nowhere near as painful as it had been. She threw her covers off of her and touched her feet to the floor. She wobbled a bit on her feet; it was the first time she had been standing in nearly three weeks. Her vision blurred but she ignored it and walked to the window to gaze out of it. It was a bright and sunny day, and there were crowds of people walking through the streets… she needed to get out of there; out of that hospital. She ran a hand through her hair and turned to walk to the table and drink the glass of water. As she chugged it down her nurse walked into the door and gasped when she saw Alyssa out of bed.

"What are you doing?"

Alyssa looked down at her hospital gown wondering how many stares she'd get once she was out of there. "Where's my brother?" she asked.

"Ms. Bennington, I strongly advise you get back into bed."

Alyssa ignored her and took a step toward her, "I'm leaving."

The nurse visibly sputtered and shook her head, "That's not possible; you're ribs – they need to-"

"If I'm able to stand I'm able to get out of here." Alyssa said. The nurse opened her mouth to say something but, impatient, Alyssa shook her head and made her way to the door. The nurse tried blocking her path before Alyssa waved her hand and immobilized her. She moved around her with ease and walked out of the door.

She had never been in St. Mungo's before so once in the hall she had no idea where she was going; hopefully someone she knew was close by. She walked down it in bare feet and tried to ignore the people who would repeatedly stop and stare at her as she walked by. She reached the end of the hallway and looked around until she found a door that led to the stairwell. She walked down one flight and continued down that hallway until she reached what seemed to be a cafeteria. It was filled with people eating food and once she took two steps in people stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her.

Alyssa looked around the room until her eyes landed on Brad. His back was facing her so he didn't know she was there until she approached him. She stood quietly at his side until he looked up.

"Alyssa!" He choked on his drink and shoved himself out of the chair causing a loud noise to erupt through the room. "What the hell are you doing? Are you okay? You really should be in bed,"

Alyssa ignored him and said, "Brad, get me out of here… please."

She could tell by the look of his face that he was reluctant to do anything; yet it was hard for him to say no. Brad also knew how much she had hated being in hospitals so he nodded his head once before grabbing her hand and leading her out back into the hallway. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders before walking her down a few flights of stairs and taking her outside.

"I'll apparate you into Hogsmeade; we can get to Hogwarts from there. Hopefully no one will take too much notice." He said as they walked quickly side by side.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I hardly doubt it's surprising to you to find out you've been in the paper almost everyday for the past two weeks." Alyssa nodded her head, feeling somewhat violated yet knowing that it should've been expected anyway. "Are you sure you're okay? You just took the medicine for your ribs… I'd understand if you were weak, you don't have to go back to school."

"Brad," She said once they stopped outside the doors, "I need to go back… the hospital has done nothing but make me think of what happened. I need to be at Hogwarts." Brad nodded understandingly and wrapped his arm around her before they apparated away.

They appeared in Hogsmeade a second later and Alyssa wasn't surprised to see that it was filled with people.

"We're not too far into town so not many people will be able to see you." Brad said. He kept his arm around her and steered her down a path that would eventually take them back to Hogwarts. "Just so you know… classes will have ended by the time your in there. You're bound to be seen and… I just want you to be prepared, is all." He looked down at her to see that she was paler than usual, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine… just tired." She said looking back up at him as they neared the entrance to Hogwarts. She smiled as if trying to prove her point but he looked sadly at her. Her eyes roamed back to the castle, instantly warming at the sight.

"I just wish you'd gotten dressed before you broke out." He said with a smile, "You're going to make quite the scene." And he was right. The entrance hall was packed with students and as the doors opened and they stepped inside, nearly every one of them turned to look at her.

"I guess you were right about that." Alyssa whispered through the corner of her mouth.

Someone shouted 'It's her!' and some of the students even started to clap.

"Why are they clapping?" Alyssa asked furrowing her brows.

"Because you helped end this war," Brad answered as if it were obvious.

Alyssa shook her head, "No I didn't. I didn't do anything but get hurt." Brad frowned at her and rubbed her arm soothingly before someone shouted her name. She looked up to see Hermione and Ron pushing through the crowd trying to get to her.

"What are you doing out of the hospital?" Hermione asked immediately.

"Can we please get out of here?" Alyssa pleaded.

"OY! Piss off, you lot." Ron shouted at the students who were pushing up towards them and Colin Creevey could be seen pulling out his camera. "Get out of the way!" He shouted again before grabbing Alyssa's hand and pulling her through a gap in the crowd. Brad covered the rear as they filed through to the end of the hall and Alyssa couldn't help but run her eyes through the students – looking for even a shimmer of blonde.

Her attention diverted completely once they were void of the crowd. Brad, Ron and Hermione surrounded her as if protecting her from any prying eyes as they walked through the hallways.

"Are you even allowed to be out?" Hermione asked again.

"Just look at her, 'Mione. She's still in her hospital gown; what do you think?" Ron said.

Hermione slowed her pace down, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea… you could still be healing."

"I'm fine," Alyssa insisted. "I just need to rest." She ran a tired hand over her face only to find that her forehead was hot and there was a thin sheet of cold sweat covering her face.

"Are you okay?" Brad asked quietly as he noticed the gesture. Alyssa nodded but he wrapped an arm around her shoulder once again, holding her close and supporting most of her weight. Alyssa realized they were headed into the direction of her bedroom, and subconsciously her heart started to speed up; she was half hoping – half dreading the thought of a certain someone already being there.

But those thoughts were squished as they stepped into an empty common room. It didn't look any different from when she had been there last, maybe a bit cleaner. She looked silently around the room before taking Brad's cloak off and handing it back to him. The others watched her as if expecting her to faint right in front of them but she barely made any movement. She ran another hand over her face and sighed heavily as she looked at her wrapped hands. She impatiently ripped the gauze off of them and dropped the shreds to the floor before flexing her fingers in front of her face. They looked perfectly fine, no sign of injury.

Alyssa left the others to go into her room – that may have been the only thing different. None of her clothes were on the floor; they must've all been back in her trunk or hung in the closet. Her bed was made and the curtains were pulled aside; it looked like no occupant had ever lived there. She opened the closet – she had been right about the clothes – and pulled out a fresh set of pajamas and slowly changed into them, slightly wincing as she lifted her arms over her head to put on the shirt. She shrugged the shirt on the rest of the way, and patted down the bandage that was on her abdomen to try and make it look less obvious. It had been complete silence for the past few moments so her ears pricked as conversation rose up in the other room. She sighed and sat down at the edge of her bed; everything, it seemed, would be changing.

There was a soft knock at the door and Alyssa looked up in time to see that it was slowly being pushed open by Harry.

"You really are here," He said as he walked towards the bed and sat next to her. He didn't wait for her reply before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

"_Gently_, Harry." Alyssa said as the air was squeezed out of her body and her chest ached. She smiled at him as he pulled away bashfully.

"So you broke out, did you?" Harry said with a smirk while adjusting his glasses.

Alyssa nodded, "I can't stand hospitals; and as long as my ribs are okay I don't need to be there any longer."

"The bruises are still there." Harry said bringing his hand to her cheek.

"Nothing healed while I was out… and I wasn't there long enough for them to heal the rest of the bruises." She shrugged remembering how the Healers had explained the whole barrier thing to her.

Harry wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her arm, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just tired; I feel like it's been such a long day…" Alyssa raised her hand to cover her mouth while she yawned.

"You should probably rest." He suggested.

"I was asleep for more than two weeks… I think I can manage," Alyssa said sarcastically. "Ugh, that reminds me, are there classes tomorrow?" Harry nodded, "Great. That'll be fun catching up."

"I'm sure they'll understand if it takes some time."

Alyssa shrugged before pulling out of Harry's arm and lying on the bed. She sighed heavily already feeling her eyes beginning to droop. Sunlight was still pouring through the windows, though not as bright as it had been.

"You ready to sleep?" Harry asked smiling down at her.

"Maybe I'll rest for a bit." Alyssa reasoned. Her eyes opened as the bed shifted as Harry stood up and suddenly began to feel uneasy. "Would you stay with me?" She asked quietly; Harry stopped his movements looking as if he was taken aback. "Not the night, just… until I fall asleep?"

He smiled at her and said, "Of course." as if he had already made the decision of staying with her before she even asked. He took a few steps towards the bed and leaned down to gather Alyssa in his arms. He lifted her slightly so he could untuck the covers and moved them out of the way before setting her back down. She made herself comfortable under the covers and he followed suit by getting in next to her. Since the injury to her ribs, Alyssa had become completely accustomed to only being able to lie on her back; it was no different that day. She sighed as the bed fitted to her body; her bed was one of the things she had missed most.

Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head above her shoulder. She would honestly have no complaints if this was how she could sleep for the rest of her life. Being in Harry's arms was like being in her safe haven and was only further proven by the night he had taken her to the hospital.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked quietly, his breath brushing her neck. Alyssa nodded and closed her eyes, followed almost immediately by falling asleep.

The next day, Hermione woke up before Alyssa but let her sleep a little longer knowing she needed the rest. Hermione had got in the room after doing a full night of patrolling and wasn't surprised to see that Harry was still sleeping there. She woke up Harry and he told her how Alyssa had intended on going to class the next day before returning to his own room and she went to bed herself. She was still worried about Alyssa being out of the hospital; she had obviously been really weakened when she had returned to the castle and fell asleep in the middle of the day and slept all night. It was still possible that Alyssa needed to heal and recover from what had happened, and trying to go through a regular day at school like nothing happened wouldn't be the easiest task.

She decided to wake Alyssa up fifteen minutes before leaving for breakfast. She walked over to her bed and shook her shoulder gently before Alyssa's eyes slid open.

"I let you sleep in," Hermione said once she was sure Alyssa registered what was going on, "But you should probably be getting up now."

"Thanks," Alyssa said tiredly. Hermione watched her as she sat up from the bed and slid her legs to the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked.

"I'll be fine." Alyssa answered with her back turned to her. She stood up from the bed and adjusted her pajamas and went to her trunk to pull out her uniform. Hermione didn't even try to cover up her observations. Alyssa took off her top and her stomach throbbed as she stretched her arms over her shoulders. She didn't think she'd made any sign of it but Hermione seemed to have caught it.

"Are you supposed to change that?" Hermione asked, pointing her finger at the bandage on her abdomen.

Alyssa shrugged as she pulled on the rest of her uniform. "The stitches are still in there, I don't know when they were planning on taking them out." Hermione tried hard not to point out how this was another reason why she should've stayed at St. Mungo's.

"What's first today?" Alyssa asked as she grabbed her bag.

"…Potions,"

Alyssa dropped her bag and Quills and bottles of ink rolled out. "I… I wouldn't worry about it though…" Hermione added knowing what was on her mind. "He was at the, uh, Manor over the weekend… sorting some things out." She shrugged trying to look nonchalant but it was too late.

At breakfast Alyssa caught the attention of nearly every single student in the Great Hall. The teachers looked towards Dumbledore uttering their surprise yet the twinkle in his eye made it seem as if this was to be expected. She resumed her spot next to Harry who was already sitting there and sighed heavily trying to ignore the holes she could feel being burnt into her body.

"Well, this was to be expected I guess." said Harry with a smile on his face and looking around. She smiled at him thankfully, glad that he was trying to lighten the mood. She loaded some food onto her plate as owls soared in to deliver the mail. An issue of the _Prophet_ landed in front of Harry and he opened the first page. "No surprises here,"

Alyssa looked over his shoulder to see a headline of '_Bennington Checked Out_?' and underneath a picture of her and Brad standing outside the hidden entrance to St. Mungo's.

"They can't find anything more interesting?" Alyssa asked sarcastically.

"Guess not," Harry answered. It was only seconds later when someone literally screamed her name. Alyssa looked up in time to see a blur of red before arms were crushing her in a hug.

"Gently!" Alyssa shouted as Ginny was squeezing so tightly she could've re-broken her ribs.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny demanded as she pulled away.

"I guess I just left." Alyssa said quietly while running her hands over her stomach. Ginny occupied the seat next to her and piled food onto her plate.

"Are you actually going to classes then?"

Before Alyssa could respond Harry leaned over and said, "Actually I think we should get a head start going to class. Just so you don't have to deal with more people."

"That's a good idea," Alyssa said slowly pushing away her food; she wasn't in the mood to be eating that much anyway. "Come to my room after classes." She said turning to Ginny who looked upset that her friend was leaving but nodded anyway. She reached under the table to grab her bag and followed Harry out of the Great Hall.

"I know you're probably sick of hearing it," Harry started as they walked down the hallway, "But are you sure you're okay? I'm sure the professors will understand if you're not ready to get back… they probably weren't even expecting you so soon."

"I'll be fine, Harry." Alyssa urged. She looped her arm through his and he seemed to accept the answer.

They were one of the first students to arrive at class but it didn't take long for more students to follow. Hermione arrived almost immediately after them and took a seat next to Alyssa. They were seated at the front of the classroom so Alyssa wouldn't have to see the people stop and stare at her as they walked in. Snape walked in through the doors and merely glanced at her before taking up his position at his desk. Their eyes met briefly but Alyssa looked away and pulled out her book and put it on the table, Harry and Hermione did the same. The rest of the class waited silently for Snape to begin speaking.

As he opened his mouth, however, it snapped shut again as the doors opened. Alyssa could sense him before he even walked into the room. Her back straightened up instantly and she was rigid. Harry and Hermione noticed the visible difference and looked over their shoulders to see Draco walking through the doors.

Alyssa's back was turned to him so she wasn't able to see him stop dead in his tracks. His jaw dropped and his skin paled as he stared at Alyssa with wide eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy, you're already late, if you'd be so kind and take a seat." Snape droned. Alyssa couldn't turn around and look to see him take a seat a few rows behind her - but his eyes never left her. She could feel herself begin to shake and she willed it to stop as her breathing became uneasy.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Hermione hissed at Harry. But Alyssa took no notice to this; she could barely comprehend a thought as she was sitting in the same room as Draco Malfoy.

Snape began his lesson but Alyssa didn't bother trying to pay attention – although it wasn't like she'd be able to follow along anyway - she hadn't relaxed at all and was staring blankly at the table top in front of her while trying to steady her breathing.

Alyssa didn't even make it through half the lesson. Snape was asking the class questions and he picked Draco to answer. As Draco began to speak, a choked sob escaped her lips and she clapped a hand to her mouth – horrified; it was the first time she heard his voice in three weeks. Students looked in her direction and even Snape stopped what he was doing to look at her; she could stand it no longer. She grabbed her book in one hand, her bag in the other and fled the classroom as fast as she could without even a glance at Draco and slamming the door behind her.

"Potter, go make sure she's all right." Snape said quietly so the entire class wouldn't be able to hear. Harry stood up and left the classroom.

Once Alyssa left the room she looked down at her hands to see they were shaking uncontrollably. Another sobbed escaped as she felt the room shaking around her. Her chest started to throb painfully and she stopped short, dropping everything to the floor. She nearly fell over as Harry rushed to her side and grabbed hold of her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest where she immediately pressed her face into his shirt and let the tears fall and the heavy sobs escape… she didn't go to any classes for the rest of the day.

She had barely slept at all that night. Alyssa wasn't expecting to see – hear Draco at all, and his appearing so suddenly was rather overwhelming. She tossed and turned most of the night and when she realized it was around ten in the morning she decided to get up. She grabbed a clean set of clothes and made her way to the shower. She twisted the knob and hot water began to pour out of the faucet, steam already starting to envelope the room. She turned to the mirror as she undressed; she felt like she looked so different - so worn down as if she had aged a few years. She removed the bandage from her abdomen to reveal a line of stitches that was two inches long. She kicked off her pajama pants and stepped into the shower.

The hot water soothed her senses. It was so long since she had a truly relaxing shower. She bowed her head allowing the scolding water to cascade down between her shoulder blades. Opening her eyes as the water slid down she was able to see the amount of bruises that still hadn't healed. There were still remnants on her cheek from the hit, but other than that there were bruises on her arms and legs. After the shower she dried off and changed into a white long sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts. She looked outside; it was a perfectly sunny day – completely opposite to what she was feeling. She pulled on her sneakers and decided a walk would do her some good, she needed fresh air.

Alyssa walked through the empty hallways until she got outside. No one was out there – everyone should've been in classes; she, of course, already decided she wasn't going. Alyssa walked towards the lake and breathed in the sight. She really had missed Hogwarts and everything that came with it. She sat down at the patch of grass in front of the small dock and leant backwards till she was lying on her back.

The hot sun beat down on her and she partly wished she was in a bathing suit so she could get a tan. The heat fell good on her entire body, even soothing her ribs. She didn't know how long she was lying there – she could've fallen asleep – before a shadow blocked the sun from her face. She popped one eye opened to see who had decided to disturb her.

"Don't you have class?"

Harry sat down next to her and shrugged, "You should be there too."

Alyssa closed her eyes and rested her head back down, the dry grass scratching the back of her neck. "I don't want to."

"Is it because of Malfoy? And what happened yesterday?" Harry asked. He copied her position by lying down next to her with the top of their shoulders touching. Alyssa took a while to answer the question.

"I'm just not ready to get back."

"But you were ready to walk out of the hospital?" Alyssa turned her head to glare at him.

"I left the hospital 'cause I hate it there. I was in there a lot when I was a kid and I try to avoid it as much as I can. Besides… there was nothing much else they could do for me."

"They could've helped you get your strength back; you're obviously not feeling up to par."

"What the hell, Harry, what are you trying to say?"

He sighed heavily and took off his Gryffindor robes, placing them to the side. "I'm not trying to say anything… I'm just worried about you, and so is everyone else."

"Well everyone else obviously has too much time on their hands."

"I'm glad you think so lightly of the subject," Harry said sarcastically. He put his hands underneath his head and closed his eyes. "I know you don't want to hear much about this… but all of us were worried sick about you. Even after we found out the surgery went okay, no one knew when – or even if – you'd wake up. It was a very long and difficult seventeen days." He dropped his hands back down to his sides and Alyssa reached over to hold one of his in her own, he gripped it tightly in response.

"And no one was going to tell you this," Harry added, "but Malfoy was going through an even worse time, I think… he went to the hospital every single night and would stay there by your bedside. We all thought he was completely losing it but he'd only leave during the day. I think he was as much surprised as you were at class the other day; he didn't even know you had woken up."

"I find that extremely hard to believe." Alyssa said slowly.

"Which part?"

"Both of them."

"Why?"

Alyssa sat up and rested her hands on her knees. A breeze blew past them blowing her hair in her face and she opened her eyes, shrugging as she did so. "I just find it hard to believe that he could be affected so much." She looked at Harry who furrowed his brows.

"This was just a plan, Alyssa. We didn't expect this to happen." Harry defended.

"Right," Alyssa said nodding, "It was just a plan. So he's been lying to me all year."

"Let me ask you one question." Harry sat up as well and waited for her approval and she nodded at him. "We've _all _known about this all year and none of us told you anything about it… so how come you treat the rest of us like it doesn't matter but you act like you're mad at Malfoy?"

Alyssa contemplated her answer; Harry did have a point. She took it much more personally from Draco than she did from anyone. Yet at the same time what had been going on between them was much more intense than the relationships she had with the rest of them. Knowing that Draco had been lying to her all this time was a much harder blow than finding out _everyone_ knew about it, too. But now that she was thinking about it, the answer was clear.

"Because I love him," She said simply, and it was the first time she had said it aloud. "And I trusted him, and he promised to protect me and he didn't. It hits below the belt just a bit too much, if you know what I mean."

Harry nodded understandingly expecting her answer to be something along those lines. "I feel really weird defending him and such, but I think you'll realize that… whatever happened between you two wasn't a lie to him."

"I wish I was so sure." Alyssa said, her voice was filled with doubt.

"If I'm sure, you should be sure; this is Malfoy we're talking about." He chuckled softly and it helped to lighten the mood. She was too distracted by her thoughts to see him turn around to look over his shoulder, look back and stand up. He stood front of her and reached down to help stand her up as well.

"Going somewhere?" She asked quizzically.

"I'll stop by later to see how you're doing." He answered with a smile. He leaned down to wrap his arms around her in a hug. She wrapped her own around his waist and noticed that his back was more tense than usual. Alyssa stared out towards the lake and her senses kicked in; now she knew why Harry was tense. She didn't even need to turn around to guess whose footsteps she could hear approaching her.

But alas, her body got the best of her and she turned her head over her shoulder to look at Draco. He literally left her breathless, especially now that she hadn't seen him in so long. He looked beautiful as usual, and even with the warm and bright weather he was in black pants and a black button up shirt. He looked like he hadn't slept in days; he was paler and had shadows under his eyes and his hair was messier than usual. His eyes roamed over her and they stood in silence staring at each other before he finally decided to say something.

"How are you?" Draco asked softly.

Alyssa's heart began to race, yet her voice was steady as she answered sarcastically, "Spectacular." She turned away from him and closed her eyes, scolding herself mentally. She hadn't intended on sounding so rude. She stepped forward and walked down the dock knowing that he'd follow her anyway, and he did.

They reached the end of the dock; his eyes never left her and she tried hard to not let it faze her.

"I need…" Draco started but trailed, he looked away quickly trying to sort out his words. "I need you to know how sorry I am." Alyssa's head snapped towards him and she wished she hadn't looked; the look in his eyes was too painful to see. "I never thought anything like this would happen… I didn't expect -"

"You don't need to apologize," Alyssa interrupted. "I understand, it's what you had to do."

"No, you don't understand. I need to explain myself; I wouldn't be able to rest if I didn't." He fell silent waiting for her to make any sign of consent, and when she did nothing he continued. "I found out during the summer that you'd be coming here, from both the Order and the Death Eaters. The Death Eaters wanted me to get close to you, to find out your strengths with your powers… and your weaknesses."

"I don't think I can hear this." Alyssa said.

"Please," He pleaded, his eyes were narrowed with sincerity and she could hardly protest. "You were just supposed to be a job for me; I didn't know who you were when I agreed to do it… and…" He trailed again looking for the right words. "When I told you I care about you I meant it – I still do. I hadn't meant for that to happen… there's so many things I can remember happening between us in the beginning of the year. I didn't know I'd be drawn to you so quickly… I was angry with myself to let you in so easily, when I've never been close to anyone my whole life."

Alyssa thought back as he spoke, realizing that what he said was making sense. All the times when he had tried to kiss her but would be upset with himself and how long it had taken for him to make a move… how could she have been so blind?

"And I knew that battle was going to happen, but if I had known you were going to get hurt like that…" He paused to shake his head, "I would've done everything in my power to have protected you. I tried so hard during those few days to watch you and make sure you were okay, I -"

"I know about your dad." Alyssa said suddenly, he fell silent then and his mouth snapped shut – he wasn't prepared to talk about that with anyone. "I didn't know what was going on at the time, I saw the green light and I thought I was dead." He didn't answer her and she looked over to see he was watching her intently. "Why did you do it?"

The muscle in his jaw flexed before he answered. "I told you I'd protect you and I didn't. What happened to you was my fault no matter what anyone says. What he did to you…" He shook his head unable to comprehend what he was thinking into words.

"This wasn't your fault, Draco." She said slowly, "I don't want you thinking it was."

He immediately tried to protest, "But -"

"But nothing; if you're gonna blame anyone blame the people who started this war. You did what you had to do, and I shouldn't have expected anything different… you really did a good thing."

"But at what sacrifice?" Draco asked, astounded that she had tried to take the blame off of him.

"It was bound to happen; it was a plan…" Her voice cracked at once again having to remind herself how it had been all a lie. "You don't have to apologize." She turned her back to him and stared out at the lake. Tears were threatening to fall but she tried her hardest to keep them back.

"Alyssa…" He murmured. She didn't hear him take a step closer but suddenly his hand was gripping her shoulder; a sensation passed through her that she had never felt before and she choked out a sob before turning around. He was much too close to her. His scent was so clear she thought she might pass out and fall into the lake. His silver eyes stared deep into her violet ones, and she felt the world vanish around her.

"I can't comprehend into words how sorry I am. But surely, you must know I am." His jaw clenched tightly as he looked at her and she was floored at the thought that he might cry. "I said you were _supposed_ to be a job… supposed to." His hand moved from her shoulder to cup her cheek, "I didn't know how beautiful you'd be… how you could change me into a person I never thought I could be… I didn't know I'd fall in love with you."

Alyssa was floored, and her heart began to race. She sputtered as she said, "What?"

"I'm in love with you, Alyssa." He brought his other hand up to cup the other side of her face. "More than anything in this world, and I feel as badly as I do because I know you've thought that because of this stupid plan that I actually didn't care about you. I couldn't ever not feel the way I do about you… It's like you've gotten inside of me," He pressed a hand to his chest motioning to his heart, and she gasped audibly as a tear slid down his cheek, "And I'll never love anyone the way I love you."

Before she could register what had just happened she threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face into his neck. He did the same – wrapping his arms as tightly as he could around her waist. She finally let her tears fall, and somehow they managed to crash down onto the dock, their knees clanged painfully onto the wood but hardly took notice. For Alyssa, what he had said still hadn't sunk in… he told her he _loved_ her! She never in a million years would've thought he'd ever return the love she felt for him.

They eventually pulled away but only far enough so that they could look into each other's eyes which were both red and brimming with tears. Alyssa moved her hand from his shoulder and ran it across his cheek, wiping away the remnants of tears. She shifted forward and pressed her lips hard against his. If there was anything she had missed most while she was stuck in the Manor and kept in the hospital it was this; being held in Draco's arms. Their lips moved against each other's as they recounted the one thing that they hadn't experienced for what felt like a lifetime. They finally pulled back, their lips now swollen.

"I love you so much, Draco."

* * *

**A/N: **jeeeez what a chapter! sorry it took kinda long to get this out but this was pretty difficult to write with all the emotions and whatnot.. and yes they finally said the big 'ilu'

thanks to the past reviews - much appreciated obviously, and i hope you enjoyed the chapter!!


	24. Chapter 24

Alyssa stepped out of the shower and squeezed the remaining water from her hair out. The room was filled with steam and as she reached the mirror she cleared it off with her hand. As she looked at her reflection she was glad to see that everything now looked normal. No cuts, no bruises; and the stitches were removed so all that was left was a thin scar that was two inches long.

She towel dried her hair after combing it out, and got dressed into some sweats to lounge in for the day. It had been an extremely tough week. She'd been doing nothing but makeup work for the past three weeks and with that combined with studying for the exams, she thought her brain might explode. She walked back into the bedroom and smiled softly at the sight she was greeted with. Draco was sleeping peacefully – finally – in his bed. He was curled up to his pillow with his blanket slung around his hips. Alyssa crept as quietly as she could over to the bed and tried hard to make no noise as she got back on it and rested next to him. She observed him as he slept on. He was lying on his stomach; his back rose and fell with every deep, even breath he took and his light eyelashes rested on his soft cheeks. Reluctantly, for she really didn't want to wake him, she brought her hand up to brush the hair off his forehead… yet alas; the slightest touch caused him to stir.

Draco's eyes slowly slid open until he started blinking a few times. His body tensed as he began to stretch and he sighed deeply closing his eyes again.

"What time is it?" He finally asked quietly.

Alyssa looked over her shoulder and to the clock, "A little bit after noon."

Suddenly he opened his eyes smiling and pulled her to his chest. "It's late." He said.

She gave him a kiss and said, "You were finally sleeping; I didn't have the heart to wake you." He rolled over until he was on his back, bringing her along so she was on top of him. She rested her head on his chest, feeling the warmth radiating from him. She let her fingers trace patterns over his skin, and they ran over the new scar trailing down the side of his arm.

"Thank you," He said softly, and after a few moments added "Alyssa, I'm -"

"Don't say it." She interrupted closing her eyes.

"You didn't even know what I was going to say." His voice croaked with the tiredness in his voice.

"I knew exactly what you were going to say." She reasoned, "And I don't want to hear it." She immediately heard him begin to protest and raised her head to look at him. "I'm serious, Draco. You need to stop feeling guilty or else we'll never get past this."

"It's just… the things I did to you. I can't forgive myself; I don't know how you can."

She pressed a hand to his face and spoke so quietly that even if everyone in the world was listening in, he'd be the only one who could hear her. "I could never, _ever_ stay mad at you even if I tried… I love you too much. And what you did is the bravest thing I can think of. You risked your life for an entire year; you could've easily been killed. You should be celebrating just as much as the rest of the world, if not more; not feeling guilty for yourself."

Draco looked unsure and as if he wanted to say something more, but he closed his eyes and nodded. She gave him another kiss and rested her head back down on his chest.

It had been a month since she'd woken up from her coma, and things were starting to return to normal. That past night was one of the only nights Draco slept since then. He was either unable to fall asleep at all, or would be troubled with nightmares from what happened – most nights from the death of his father. Alyssa stayed with him every night trying to make him comfortable enough so that he'd fall asleep but even then, an hour would pass and he'd wake up startled in a cold sweat. This was only worsened by the fact that he had been trying for that past month to apologize to Alyssa at any open moment for what had happened. He was having such a huge problem with getting through his guilt and Alyssa had been worried about him. But it seemed that now things were starting to perk up.

Alyssa was now learning even more about the war; she was amazed by how out of the loop she was. Although Voldemort was dead, there was still a battle to fight. And she finally got the answer to where Dumbledore was repeatedly disappearing off to when things would suddenly take a turn for the worse. There had been a second line of defense incase something went wrong at Malfoy Manor. The people in the Manor were mainly the Weasley's, Draco, Lupin, Brad, Neville, Ron, Hermione, Snape, and about a dozen Aurors. The second line was busy protecting Hogwarts incase Alyssa was overpowered and Voldemort eventually went after the school. That consisted of the teachers, most of the students, more Aurors, Hagrid and Dumbledore. Dumbledore had to let the events unfold as they were planned or else it wouldn't have worked out as it did and it was a possibility that Voldemort would still be roaming the earth.

On the other hand, there was also a second line of the Dark side. That was leaded by people like Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback and also consisted of creatures like the Dementors, Inferi and Trolls. All in all, there was still ways to go until the war would finally be over. Yet Voldemort was gone, and if that wasn't something to celebrate, what was?

"So what shall we do today?" Alyssa asked a little while later. They still hadn't gotten out of bed.

"Nothing," Draco murmured.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"But -"

"Nothing."

"You just want to stay in bed?" Alyssa asked with a smile. Draco nodded. "We'll need food," She suggested.

"Someone will eventually come to disturb us like they usually do, and then we can make them get us something."

"Hm… What about potty breaks?"

"We'll manage." He said simply.

Alyssa sat up so she could see his face. "That sounds good to me; as long as I'm with you." As she watched him she thought of when she stayed with him as he slept in the hospital wing after the Quidditch match. She had thought that when all of this was over, she could just be with him. And now that could _finally_ happen. Alyssa didn't know what to expect for her future, but as long as he was in it everything would be okay.

The next day Alyssa and Draco were walking together through the halls; they had fulfilled their plans the previous day and stayed in bed literally all day. The halls were empty so they were to themselves. Most of the other students were in their rooms doing extra cram sessions for the exams.

"Are you nervous about the exams?" She asked him. She looked over to see him give a little shrug and shake his head. "I knew you wouldn't be; you're already brilliant." He simply rolled his eyes.

"What about you?"

Alyssa shrugged as well, "I dunno; part of me thinks 'these are the most important exams I'll ever take' and then another part thinks 'well, I'll be working with dragons with my brother eventually so they're not _that_ important'. It's hard deciding which part is winning."

"It's understandable." Draco said.

"How's your mom?" She asked after a moment.

He sighed and raised his eyebrows, "She finally left the Manor; for good I think, this time. She bought a place in Scotland that she'll probably want to stay at for a while."

"She's not just gonna stay and fix it up?"

Draco shook his head straight away, "Too many bad memories." Alyssa squeezed his hand in hers and turned at the sound of someone calling her name. Brad was walking down the hallway at a speedy pace and looked somewhat stressed out.

"What's up?" She asked as he approached her. He nodded at Draco before addressing her.

"I need to talk to you."

Alyssa didn't say anything and only waited expectantly for him to say something. Yet he said nothing.

"Ah," Draco said nodding, "I think he means privately." Alyssa rolled her eyes as Draco bent down to kiss her cheek and continued on walking down the hallway.

"Yes, Brad?" Alyssa asked again, impatiently.

Brad rolled his eyes and looked around the hall to make sure they were alone. Yet even still, he pulled her more to the side instead of the middle of the way.

"You have to go to the Ministry; Kingsley Shacklebolt wants to talk to you -"

"Wait, what?" Alyssa stuttered trying to take in one thing at a time. "The Ministry? And who wants to talk to me?"

Brad sighed, "Kingsley Shacklebolt; he's an Auror."

"And why would he want to talk to me?" Alyssa said slowly. Brad shrugged and frowned at her. "When do I have to go?"

"You have an appointment tomorrow morning."

Alyssa immediately shook her head, "No, Brad – I can't. I have classes tomorrow and I've already missed more than I can afford to. I -"

"There's nothing I can do; and I'm sure you'll find that this is a bit more important."

She paused, her brows furrowed in thought, "But I thought you said you didn't know what it was about." He had no response.

The next morning, Alyssa woke up at eight in the morning to get ready for her ten o'clock appointment. She was rather annoyed that they had made the appointment for Monday – when she had classes. They were already cracking down on the students, and she had missed about a months worth of work that she was working her ass off to make up. It really had better been important, like Brad had said; otherwise she'd _really_ be pissed. She got dressed into a black skirt and blouse and matching shoes, deciding that she should probably look nice. Draco was already up and ready for classes and was waiting until she left.

"And you have no idea what this is about?" He asked curiously as she finished getting ready.

"Nope; Brad wouldn't tell me." She replied, he made a sound as he thought, "What?" She asked. "You think it's something serious?"

He shrugged slightly, "I don't know; it's interesting though." They were silent as she finished putting on her shoes and stood up, ready to go. "I probably won't be here when you get back." Draco said, "I have to go to the Manor."

Alyssa paused, realizing she hadn't really thought of the Manor since getting back to school; even when she had practically tore it to bits. "What's up at the Manor?"

"Fixing it up, really." He said with another shrug. "With my mother gone I'm the one who's in charge of the renovations and such. The place is basically mine."

"What are you gonna do with it?" Alyssa asked.

"I don't really know," He said after a moment, "I hadn't really thought of it."

"Oh," she said softly, "Well, have fun." She added with a grin and walked towards him for a hug. He wrapped his arms tight around her shoulders and rested his chin on her head. She sighed into his chest; her heart racing at his mere touch. Alyssa had cherished these moments.

"You too, and I want to hear about it when I see you later." He said seriously. She nodded and kissed his cheek before walking to the door. She twisted the knob and pulled it opened as he added, "I love you."

She turned and looked over her shoulder at him, not surprised to see his look of anticipation. Draco had recently made it his goal for her to know about his feelings for her.

"I know." She said, smiling brightly. He nodded and looked away, smiling bashfully.

Alyssa had never been to the Ministry of Magic, and as she went through the hidden telephone entrance with her brother she realized it was quite intimidating. She had spent the night tossing and turning wondering why they wanted to see her; especially now as she was getting back on track with her life. She looked up at the high ceiling as they passed the fountain, and up at the many offices that aligned the walls.

"Watch out." Brad muttered pulling her aside. Hundreds and hundreds of Witches and Wizards were walking to and fro the Ministry, and it was hard to miss them. Alyssa looked up at Brad as she swerved around someone; he had been on edge all morning and she was thinking it might've had to do with what this meeting would entail. They stepped into an elevator and the jolt threw them to the front of it as it lurched backwards, and again as it went to the side and straight up. A bell rang as the doors slid opened and Brad grabbed her hand and led her out. They walked briskly through the busy hallways; Alyssa had no clue where they were going and only held on tight and followed Brad.

They eventually stopped at an office door and it opened seconds after Brad knocked on it. Alyssa was greeted by who she could only assume was Kingsley Shacklebolt; he looked familiar from maybe a picture in the paper, but otherwise she couldn't tell.

"Alyssa Bennington; a pleasure to meet you." He shook her hand at once and motioned for her to come in.

She froze before taking a seat, "Mom," Alyssa was very surprised to see her mom sitting in the corner of the room. Her mom smiled at her and got up to give her a hug.

"It's nice to see you up and running," She said.

"Yeah; now that you mentioned it, thanks for visiting me." Alyssa drawled sarcastically. She barely returned the hug and sat down in front of the desk, Brad sat down next to her.

"Alyssa, you know I -" Alyssa looked over at Shacklebolt apologetically and raised her hand, "Could we just get this over with? I still have classes I need to get to."

Kingsley nodded and smiled as he walked over to his desk and sat down, "Yes, I'm well aware of the exams coming up; I'll make this as quick and painless as possible." Alyssa crossed her legs in her seat and waited patiently. "Have you had any thought as to what your plans would be after the school year ends?"

Alyssa sighed, "Well, with the war going on I figured I'd stay here -"

"To fight, you mean." Her mom interjected. Alyssa glared at her raising her eyebrows and nodded slowly, "And _then _decide what to do after its over." She shrugged as if it were clearly obvious. Kingsley opened his mouth to say something before Brad interrupted.

"Why not just cut to the chase, Kingsley. I'm sure she'd appreciate it much better." He drawled. Alyssa looked over at him, her brows furrowed and he tightened his lips offering a smile at her.

"Very well." He said stiffly. "The reason I called you in today is because the Ministry has been having some serious precautions in going into this war. And one of their main concerns has been you."

Alyssa paused, "Me? Why me?"

"With what happened at the Manor, people have been wondering whether you would be an aid or a danger to us. They don't want to risk another incident where you become possessed again and cause… for lack of a better word – destruction."

She waited a second before saying, "But there's not another powerful Wizard out there who would even be able to do that. Voldemort -"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's to my knowledge that Draco Malfoy performed the ritual."

Alyssa's jaw dropped, "I'm sorry, do you even _know_ what happened?" Out of the corner of her eye she could see Brad's lip quirk up, trying not to smile. Her mom, on the other hand, scoffed and waved her hand.

"Don't be fresh, Alyssa."

She rolled her eyes, "So you don't want me to fight just because you think I won't be able to control myself?"

Brad nodded and sat up in his chair, "Seriously, Kingsley, I don't think they understand what she's capable of – the kind of weapon we could gain that would help us -"

"And that's just not a risk most people are willing to take." Kingsley said softly.

"Personally I don't even want you fighting in this in the first place," Her mom started, "You're way too young to be thinking about his – you're _seventeen_."

"Excuse me; I'm pretty sure you're the last person who should have an opinion on how I live my life, especially since you've found no time to even take part in it." Alyssa snapped at her. She turned back to look at Kingsley, "And what if I don't listen to you? What if I decide to fight anyway?"

"You have no choice in the matter." Her mom argued.

"We've already made arrangements for you." He added. Alyssa looked over at Brad to see he was rubbing at his eyes. "In two weeks you'll be leaving to be with your brother," He waved his hand towards Brad, "In Romania."

"Wait – _what_?" Alyssa said, her stomach dropping completely, "Two weeks? That's… that's _before_ exams!" Though exams were the very least on her mind.

"We are well aware of that, but given the circumstances…"

"You agreed to this?" Alyssa suddenly demanded of Brad.

He looked at her apologetically, "Of course I didn't, but I have no choice here either."

"So you're just going to ship me off to Romania?"

"That would be the plan, yes." Her mom drawled. Alyssa dropped her hands into her lap and slumped in her chair, she was completely speechless. In only fourteen days, she would be leaving the one place she had seriously called home since she was a little kid. But more importantly… she'd be leaving the one man who, at that very moment, she was willing to drop anything and spend the rest of her life with. The rest of the meeting meant nothing; Alyssa couldn't tell a soul what the other three were talking about. She felt numb and suddenly turned deaf to what anyone had to say. Who knew that in such a short period of time, her life could've changed so dramatically? She met her best friends, found a new home, fell in love, and nearly died in less than a year.

The entire trip back to Hogwarts was a silent one. Alyssa was still trying to register what she had learned, and Brad already knew she was upset so didn't bother saying anything. It wasn't until they were walking through the entrance hall that she decided to speak.

"So I'll be living with you, yeah?" She said quietly, her voice sounded strained as if she had already been crying for hours.

"If that's not a problem." He replied.

She practically snapped her neck as she turned to look at him, "Is that a joke?"

Brad didn't smile but she knew it was. As she turned away a tear slid down her cheek and she cursed as she wiped it away.

"What is it?"

"I can't look like I've cried; otherwise he'll know something's wrong." Alyssa said. She pulled on the sleeves of her blouse and dabbed her eyes.

"Are you going to tell him?" He asked curiously as they neared her common room.

They stopped in front of the door and she sighed before answering. "He'd want me to… But he's already got so much on his mind. And I feel like if I did tell him, we'd be acting like we had no time left, and I want to spend what time I have to the fullest."

Brad nodded, "Funny, how it sounds like you're dying but you're really just moving."

Alyssa rolled her eyes, "_Hilarious_." She finally opened the door and was extremely surprised to see dozens of people crowding the common room. Food and drinks were spread everywhere throughout the room as people sat on the couches and in front of the fire. "What is going on?" Alyssa asked to the room. Ron looked up and waved a hand.

"Oy, grab a drink and sit down," He called. Hermione and Ginny who were sitting across from him waved her over as well. Alyssa turned to Brad who politely excused himself and she grabbed a beer. She walked over to the fireplace where people were grouped and sat down on the stone in front of it. "What's going on?" She asked again.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know; I told Ginny to come by so she obviously brought Blaise. Then Harry and Ron eventually showed up and then Neville, Seamus and Dean came as well. And then… the rest just showed up." She ended with another shrug.

"How was the meeting?" Ginny asked.

Alyssa rolled her eyes while sipping her beer, "I'll tell you about it later." She glanced around the room, "Is Draco back yet?" Ginny shook her head, and it was an hour and three beers later that he returned. He walked into the room looking just as surprised as Alyssa to see the amounts of people there. Since Alyssa had arrived, even more people had decided to show up. She spotted him instantly and kicked her heels out of the way before standing up and rushing to him. He was still wearing his Hogwarts uniform though it loosened up a bit. His shirt was untucked and his tie was draping around his neck where the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked extremely handsome.

Draco greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, "How was the meeting?"

Alyssa spoke evenly, having planned what she was going to say. "It wasn't as serious as I thought. My mom was there; they just wanted to talk about living arrangements and such." It wasn't a complete lie – it was just missing a huge chunk of the story. He quirked his lips but she moved on wanting to change the subject. "What about you? How was the Manor?"

He raised his eyebrows briefly, "I must say, you tore the place up." She rolled her eyes and he chuckled softly taking off his cloak. "But it's fine; it might just take a while to get done with the war still going on." Alyssa nodded knowing he was planning on fighting. "So what exactly is going on here?" He asked looking around the room.

Alyssa put down her drink, "I'm not sure, it was pretty much like this when I got here." She watched him as he surveyed the room and tugged on his sleeve. When he turned to look at her she reached up on the tips of her toes and kissed him.

"I love you," she said, "So much." She pressed her lips to his again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Someone in the room cooed with a loud 'Ooh!' and Draco pulled away smiling.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her quietly.

Alyssa shook her head, "Do you want to go to your room?" She asked.

Draco opened his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "Okay," He said slowly. He held her hand and they made a discrete getaway. Alyssa shut his bedroom door behind her. She grabbed the arm of his retreating figure and pulled him towards her, crushing her lips onto his and immediately opened her mouth against him, but he pulled away sharply.

"Seriously… is something wrong?" He asked again. He had the ability to read her like a book but she refused to tell him everything and shook her head.

"I need you," She said. "Just… have me."

Her breath hitched in her throat as he kissed her with more force than she could've ever anticipated, but she recovered and kissed him back with just as much ferocity. Draco pushed her backwards and her back hit his door. She gasped loudly into his mouth and her hands moved to hold tightly onto his shoulders. What happened earlier that day was completely erased from her mind as his hands gripped onto her hips and pulled her against him, while at the same time continuing to press forward. He pressed harder and harder until she was lifted from the floor, and her skirt rose up completely as she fastened her legs around his waist.

Alyssa's heart raced; he had hardly ever been so aggressive with her. It was as if he was taking all of his emotion and pouring it out as he did whatever he wanted to her; he pulled and grabbed and kissed and bit practically every spot he could find, and only paused briefly to lock the door. She could hardly comprehend what was going on and it only registered slightly as he bit hard onto her neck. She moaned loudly and her hips bucked involuntarily into his causing him to moan as well. She let her hands roam over his upper body; the muscles over his back flexed rhythmically and she pulled his shirt from his pants, allowing her hands to move underneath it and feel the heat radiating from his skin.

Draco cupped her face with his hand and began kissing her again, while the other hand ran up her thigh and under her skirt. His fingers hooked around the edge of her panties and she dropped her legs so he could pull them off of her. Alyssa kicked them aside and moved her hands to his belt where she unbuckled it and ripped it right out of the loops. She undid his pants and they draped loosely around his hips but stayed in place as she pulled him hard against her. They resumed their position and Alyssa found herself again raised from the floor, Draco pinning her against the door while kissing her; she could feel how hard he was and saw stars.

He dropped his hands quickly and pushed his pants down, and after adjusting her legs around his waist and tilting his hips, he was inside her.

"Draco," She moaned his name loudly and her head fell back, connecting with the door. Her hands gripped his biceps as he rocked against her and she was suddenly feeling it was rather hard to breathe. Her temperature was rising uncontrollably and a sheet of sweat covered her forehead. Her eyes snapped opened as cool air brushed her chest, Draco yanked her blouse opened and the buttons landed on the floor. He ran his lips over her, raising a hand to grip her chest and she gasped again; she felt as if she was about to explode.

Suddenly, Draco pulled her away from the wall and carried her to the bed where they landed heavily. It was an odd circumstance really; his pants and boxers were down to his knees, and his shirt was shoved all the way up to under his arms. Her blouse was ripped open, her bra still intact and her skirt pushed around her waist.

Their rhythm was rapidly becoming frantic, their kisses now nothing but their harsh breathing in each other's mouths as they both neared their climax. Alyssa couldn't tell if it was them or the loud activity from the common room, but it felt as if Draco's room was vibrating and she wondered if he felt it too. She opened her eyes only to see his dark, steely eyes staring back at her; there was nothing more that she could possibly focus on. He growled slightly and pushed himself up to pull the rest of his shirt off and threw it to the floor. She could see the sweat on his body reflected from the moonlight but he quickly pulled her up against him. Her hands flew to his head, where her fingers weaved themselves into his hair. Now, each thrust was faster, harder, and deeper. And what had started out grunts, were now loud moans coming from Draco's mouth. They pressed back into the pillows, Alyssa's head falling to the side as ripples coursed through her body. It was like every time he was inside her, she felt so full; but then when he wasn't she felt empty and she needed him back desperately.

She came hard – moaning loudly and clenching her muscles around him causing him to follow suit. Draco collapsed heavily on top of her, moaning her name once more while panting loudly. They lay smothered against each other, their bodies slick with sweat. He rested his forehead onto hers and observed her as she tried to regain her breath.

He brought his hand up to caress her face and his lips grazed hers as he spoke softly, "Was I too hard on you? I feel like I lost myself."

Alyssa shook her head at once, "No – I wanted you to." She swallowed hard and sighed, draping her arms over his shoulders.

Draco grunted and turned himself over, breaking them apart, so that he was lying on his back. Alyssa took the rest of her clothes off, throwing them carelessly to the floor and followed by taking off the rest of Draco's clothes as well. She leaned her back against the headboard and pulled on him with all the strength she could muster until he was lying back in her lap, his head tucked into the nape of her neck.

She ran her fingers through his hair while rubbing her hand across the bicep of his left arm and watched his chest rise and fall with each deep even breath he took.

"You're so beautiful." She whispered, and she wasn't really sure if he heard it or not. But he raised his left hand up to weave through her hair and grip the back of her neck. He shifted so he was higher up and their cheeks were touching.

"It'd be nice to just stay here like this." He said softly.

She nodded in agreement but she felt a sudden sadness prick at her stomach. "It would be…" He turned his head to look at her and she did the same, their lips meeting in a soft kiss.

There were three days left and Alyssa was starting to pack. Although she was leaving she wanted to make it look like nothing had changed, so she was attending classes every day and studying for the exams just like every other student. She was now packing her trunk back up in her room while Ginny and Hermione flipped through _Witch Weekly_ on her bed.

"Don't you think Draco's going to be a bit suspicious with you packing?" Ginny asked curiously. Alyssa had told her closer friends that she was leaving, besides Draco, obviously. Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Blaise all knew what the plans were and had all promised to keep Draco out of it.

"The end of the year is coming anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one packing." Alyssa replied quietly. She looked sadly at her green dress from the Christmas Ball and zipped it in its package before putting it in her trunk.

Hermione nodded in agreement, "Plus I'm starting to pack just so it looks like we're cleaning up in here. Draco's hardly in here anyway so I don't think it'll be a problem."

"This is ridiculous," Ginny scoffed a few minutes later, "They can't just order you around like you're four years old. We need you in this." Alyssa shrugged as she threw her boots in the trunk as well. She turned back and looked at the few clothes left in her closet and her stomach dropped. She lifted her hand to her face and covered her eyes as she winced.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"I'll be fine." She answered. "Hand me that shirt right there?" She asked Ginny pointing out a t-shirt hanging off the bed. Ginny tossed it to her and she put it in the trunk. "I don't know how I got all these clothes into this thing," She said tapping the trunk with a sigh.

"So what are you going to say to him?" Ginny asked.

"You know what?" Alyssa said, "Let's not talk about Draco, okay? I don't… I don't know what I'm going to say. I'm having a hard enough time already without thinking about it."

"Fine, fine," Ginny said heavily, "But I know you're losing it in that head of yours." Alyssa only glared at her and silently wished Ginny didn't know her so well.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and they all looked at each other unexpectedly. "Er – who is it?" Hermione asked.

"Harry." He said through the door. They let out a small breath of relief and Alyssa walked away from her trunk to open the door.

"Hey," She greeted, forcing a bright smile.

"How're you doin'?" He mumbled lightly stepping into the room. He took a look at the opened trunk and the clothes spread around the room, "Packing, I see?"

"Getting down to it," She replied.

"What's up, Harry?" Hermione asked.

He shook his head and sat down on the little spot left on Alyssa's bed. "Just wanted to see what you all were up to. Ron's in the library." He added seeing Hermione's questioning glance. She nodded once and quietly excused herself from the room.

"I should probably go with," Ginny said getting up, "I need to get some studying done."

The room was quite as Harry and Alyssa were by themselves. The only sound that could be heard was as Alyssa folded her clothes and placed them into the trunk.

"Why don't you take a break from that?" Harry asked and he patted the seat next to him. She climbed onto the bed and rested her back against the headboard where he comfortingly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked softly.

Alyssa closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess so…" she replied, "Hopefully." She added, sending him a smile.

"Everything will be fine in Romania. And after all of this is over, you'll always be welcome here."

"That's not what I'm worried about, though." She argued shaking her head. "What if something happens? What if someone gets hurt?"

Harry looked at her seriously, her violet eyes filled with worry and doubt. "Draco won't get hurt; he's a better fighter than most of us, you don't need to worry about him."

"You and I both know that I will _always_ worry about him. And he's not the only one I'm worried about." She said giving him a meaningful look.

He turned around so his entire body was facing her. "The way you're feeling won't get you anywhere but feeling anxious. What you need to do is just feel confident that we're gonna beat them to a bloody pulp, and that this'll be over before you know it. Just believe in us." He placed his hand underneath her chin and offered a small smile, "Can you do that?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh, but with all the reluctance she felt, she nodded.

"Good." He said smiling and patting her on the cheek. "I think you might want to continue packing; you don't want these falling into the wrong hands." He laughed as he raised his hand to show that he was holding a bright pink thong.

"Harry!" Alyssa dove forward and snatched the underwear from his hand.

The last night was definitely one of; if not _the_, most trouble she had trying to sleep. She tossed and turned with Draco at her side, barely finding any sleep. And if she found any she'd only wake up within the hour. She had flashes of dreams where she was falling through the clouds above the Quidditch pitch, or fighting a fire-breathing dragon, or graduating from Hogwarts. None of them made sense, and the only time she felt truly relaxed was when Draco woke up next to her turning body and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

The next day, Alyssa spent the majority of her morning up in Gryffindor tower. She had planned on skipping classes since she'd be leaving after lunch and was surprised to say that everyone who knew she was leaving decided to skive off as well. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and even Blaise stayed with her in the Gryffindor common room, trying to get by as if the clock wasn't running out of time. Yet instead of going by the saying 'Time flies by when you're having fun,' time flew, but Alyssa wasn't having any fun dreading having to say goodbye. Soon enough, it was that time, and Alyssa found herself giving them all hugs and trying not to cry through her last moments with them.

It was as if she was going down the line, first was Ron, then Blaise, and then Hermione.

"I'm really going to miss you," Hermione said as she pulled Alyssa into a bone crushing hug. Hermione had meant what she said when she told Alyssa she didn't think they'd get on well. But Hermione found that Alyssa was unlike anyone she'd ever met, and was truly crushed when she found out Alyssa had to leave.

"I'll miss you too; but I know we'll see each other again… sometime soon I hope." Alyssa replied giving her a small smile.

"You can let her go now, 'Mione." Ron drawled.

"And I'm certainly going to miss you, Ron." She said smiling at him. She turned to look at Ginny, whose eyes were already filled with tears. "Ugh, don't even start it, Ginny." Alyssa whined, "I haven't even gotten to the hardest part!"

Ginny pouted and hugged her tightly around the waist. "I can't help it. You've been a sister to me since the first week of school and I'll always remember it."

Alyssa heaved a sigh and squeezed her eyes shut trying to stop the tears from coming on. "I love you, Gin'. And once this shit clears up you better write me, I'll be wasting away in Romania." She said forcing a laugh.

"I love you, too." Ginny said tightening her hold on her. They pulled away slightly till they were arm lengths away and Alyssa kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodbye," Alyssa said and gave her a wink; Ginny smiled in return.

She looked over at Harry, who, noticing her glance said, "Ready?" Alyssa nodded; Harry had previously asked to walk her out of the school where she'd be meeting Brad at the carriage. He grabbed her hand and they laced their fingers together before leaving the common room.

"It's going to be weird, you not being here and everything." Harry said to her.

Alyssa nodded in agreement, "I know, this has really become my home. I'm definitely gonna miss it here." She looked over at Harry and smiled before they stepped out of the doors of the Entrance Halls. One carriage was parked in the front, a Thestral patiently leading it. Brad was standing next to it along with Dumbledore, Snape, and professor McGonagall. "Look, it's like a party." She said sarcastically. She looked off towards the lake and could see Draco's silhouette in the distance.

"Well, this is it." Harry said quietly.

She turned her body towards him and hesitated, wondering what to say. She bit her lip thinking of what kind of words could come out of her mouth that would sum up how much Harry meant to her.

"I really do love you, Harry. You know that, right?" She looked up at him to see he looked somewhat startled but he didn't say anything. "You've truly saved my life. And I don't mean the whole catching me and what happened with Voldemort. But you've kept me sane this whole year; I was purely confident in knowing that you'd be there for me whenever I needed and I'm not sure if you know how much that means to me… but I hope you do. Fuck." She cursed as her eyes filled with tears but forced herself to look at him. "You're my savior, Harry, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"Thank you." He said quietly. She quickly closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his briefly before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She felt as if she gave him quite a shock but he responded and hugged her tightly around her waist. And even though he didn't say it, she knew he loved her, too. Alyssa gave him another squeeze before pulling away and cupping his face in her hands.

"Goodbye, Harry."

"Goodbye, Alyssa." He said softly. He reluctantly pulled his arms away and watched her as she walked down the front steps to the carriage.

"Well, that was quite a depressing departure." Brad said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Alyssa muttered.

Dumbledore took a step forward and tipped his hat towards her, "I must say, Ms. Bennington, it has been quite the pleasure having you in my school this year." He said, his eyes twinkling.

"Thank you, it's been amazing." Alyssa said smiling. "Even with the strange turn of events."

"Yes, I'll have to try to warn prospective students about that." He replied.

"It's a shame you won't be taking the exams," McGonagall said suddenly, "I'm sure you would've gotten top ranks." She said confidently; Alyssa smiled brightly at her.

Alyssa looked over at Snape and said, "It's been a pleasure being in your class, professor Snape." And she wasn't surprised to see his startled yet smug look. "I hope the next time I come here you'll still be teaching."

Snape smirked at her, "The pleasure has been mine, Ms. Bennington." He drawled.

"Are you ready to go?" Brad asked. She looked over at the lake and said, "Just give me a minute." Alyssa walked towards the lake, and with each step, her heart beating faster. This was the moment she was dreading for the past two weeks. Alyssa didn't know what to expect; she had no idea how badly he might take the news or whatever else kind of reaction he would have. She could've planned what to say to him, to make it go by quick and easy, but she knew that once she would look into those silver eyes, any sort of comprehension would be thrown out the window.

Draco turned to look at her before she even made it to her. "Hey," She greeted. He opened his mouth to say something but before he could she pressed her lips against his into a hard kiss. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders, memorizing that last feeling of them when they flexed as he gripped his arms around her. She opened her mouth and their tongues brushed against each other's. Alyssa weaved her hands through his soft hair, willing her fingers to never forget what it felt like.

And when they pulled apart, her eyes roamed over his face, taking a mental picture of his swollen lips, squinted eyes and messy air as he gathered his breath back.

"What was that for?" He asked lightly, a smirk falling onto his features.

"I just wanted to," She answered. She wanted to continue on and make a normal conversation but she knew that she had to get right to the point.

"So what's the occasion for this meeting?" He then asked.

Alyssa pulled away from him slightly and took a deep breath to prepare herself. "I guess I'll get right to it." She watched his face register confusion and continued on nervously. "Draco… I lied when I got back from the Ministry."

She looked up to see if he was going to say anything but when he said nothing, she continued. "We did discuss living arrangements… but I left out a major detail."

"…Which was?"

"The Ministry doesn't want me fighting in the war. They think I'm too much of a risk, and that I won't be able to control myself like the last time."

"But Voldemort's the only one who -"

"I know." Alyssa interrupted. "That's what I told them. But you know how easy it is to manipulate them. So instead of letting me fight… they're shipping me off to Romania." Alyssa closed her eyes waiting for some sort of reaction, but once again, when nothing happened, she opened them back up. The look on his face was devastating. His silver eyes turned dark and solid, the little color he had left dissolved from his face, and she could tell he was trying hard not to lose it.

"When?" Draco asked stiffly.

Alyssa hesitated again. "Now… the carriage is waiting." His hard eyes left hers momentarily to see the lone carriage in front of the school and she could see his fists clench.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" He asked. His voice didn't sound angry. In fact, it sounded like it was trembling as he spoke, as if it was weaker.

"Because I didn't want us to act like we only had a little time left. I wanted us to be together as if everything were perfect." Her eyes filled with tears but she mentally scolded herself saying that this definitely was not the time. "Hasn't everything just been so… _good_ between us?"

She relaxed a bit when he nodded and she nodded as well. "It has… And maybe it was a selfish thing to act like nothing was wrong just so I could be happy with you, but I didn't want to have it any other way. That's all I want – to be with you."

Draco let out a choked breath and took a step away from her. He opened his mouth and closed it multiple times as if not having a clue of what to say. Yet she couldn't blame him. Draco was in an extremely vulnerable position with her; all of his feelings had been clear with her. And now she felt as if she was taking advantage of him. It seemed as if she was right about her assumptions, though.

He ran a hand over his face and shook his head. "I can't believe this." Alyssa waited for him to continue and suddenly he turned back to her, his face close to hers. "You're the _one _person I've ever opened up to – the only person I've ever been close to… and now you're leaving me.

"I'm so sorry." Alyssa said shaking her head, "Believe me, Draco, if this was a choice I'd stay here. You must know that."

"And when will I see you again?" He asked roughly.

Alyssa swallowed hard, she honestly wasn't sure. Everyone had failed to mention that. "I don't… I don't know."

"Alyssa!" Brad shouted from the school.

She whipped around and shouted back at him, "In a minute!" She scoffed saying to herself how he had no sympathy. Alyssa turned back around to look at Draco who looked as if he was slowly breaking down, as if this were too much to handle. He moved an inch closer to her and cupped her face in his hands.

"You can't leave… I need you here." He said quietly. He was afraid to let any more emotion out to make him feel even more vulnerable.

"I can't stay… I'm sorry. I just…" She could see the look in his eyes getting angry, and could feel the familiar vibrations in his chest as a low growl coursed through him. "Draco, please don't. This isn't the easiest thing for me to do. Just hug me, and kiss me, and tell me you love me... and after all of this is over I will find you and we can be together. Please." She pressed her head to his chest and closed her eyes, causing the tears started to cascade down her cheeks.

Draco kissed her forehead and said slowly, "You know I do… you don't need reassurance."

Alyssa whimpered and looked up at him, her eyes glimmering. She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered into his ear.

"I will _always_ love you. Always."

She pulled away without looking back at him, for if she did she would never leave. She stepped out of his grasp and began walking back to the carriage, turning her back on the life she never wanted to leave, turning her back on the one person who she truly wanted nothing else but to spend her life with.

THE END

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**A:N/ **Well that is the end! i know it took really long to get it out but it was reallyyyyy hard to write. I really hope you enjoyed the story and thanks soooo much for all the reviews! As you may have known already I have a sequal planned out, it'll be called 'Draco Malfoy and that Girl from America' (don't you just love these titles? theyre so self explanitory) so look for that in the very near future for i have already started to write it.

But thanks again so much! reviews are much appreciated especially since i worked pretty hard for this last one, and the sequal will really be out soon.. i'm pretty much done with the first chapter i just want to get some other stuff in so i'll see you there!

much love.


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